s-'-tM 


U/ye    19 
'Pilgrimage 


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tihxaxy  of  trhe  t:heolo0ical  ^emmarjp 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 
PRESENTED  BY 

Rufus  H.   LeFevre 

BX9S7S 
.S.flQlo 


THE     1 900 

PILGRIMAGE 


TO 


EGYPT  AND  THE  HOLY  LAND 

Including 

Syria,  Asia  Minor, 
Greece,  Italy,  SmlzerlRnd,  and  France 


By  H.  H.  FOUT,  D.D. 

With  an  Introduction 
By  J.  WILBUR  CHAPMAN,  D.D. 


Dayton,  Ohio 

United  Brethren  Publishing  House 

1900 


Copyright,  1900 

By  the  U.  B.  Publishing  House 

dayton,  ohio 

All  rights  reserved 


PREFACE. 


These  chapters  have  grown  out  of  a  series  of  letters  pub- 
lished in  the  Watchword,  during  my  journey.  Many  of  my 
friends,  who  claim  to  have  been  benefited  by  them,  have 
insisted  that  I  put  in  more  complete  and  permanent  form 
the  story  of  the  iDilgrimage.  The  book  is  not  written  from 
the  standpoint  of  a  scientific  student.  It  simply  aims  to 
bring  the  journey  to  those  who  may  read  its  pages  and  make 
them  feel  that  they  are  really  amid  the  scenes,  events  and 
impressions  narrated,  from  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  the  gates 
of  the  Holy  City,  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the  tents  in  the  wil- 
derness, the  Jordan  valley,  and  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  to  the  hill- 
tops where  it  seemed  that  heaven  bent  low  to  meet  us,  and 
the  air  of  that  higher  altitude  was  full  of  Pisgah  visions. 
The  path  of  the  journey  is  illuminated  by  illustrations,  most 
of  which  were  taken  by  my  own  camera.  These,  we  trust, 
will  not  only  brighten  the  pages  of  the  little  volume,  but 
also  serve  to  heighten  interest  in  the  story,  and  preserve  its 
realism.  The  itinerary  was  planned  and  the  party  organized 
by  Rev.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  D.D.,  Rev.  Ford  C.  Ottman, 
and  Mr.  John  Willis  Bear.  The  company  comprised  eighty- 
six  persons,  including  some  of  the  leading  ministers,  teach- 
ers, and  church  workers  of  the  country.  With  but  few  excep- 
tions all ,  wei'e  Christian  Endeavorers  seeking  better  equip- 
ment for  service.  The  unity  of  purpose  and  congeniality  of 
spirit  greatly  enhanced  the  pleasure  and  profit  of  the  tour. 

The  pilgrimage  was  arranged  and  managed  throughout  by 
Thomas  Cook  and  son.  It  is  evident  that  we  were  favored 
every  step  of  the  way  with  superior  protection  and  provi- 
sions, and  that  the  obligations  of  the  famous  company  were 
honored  by  its  staff  in  all  the  countries  visited. 

If  this  unpretending  record  of  my  experience  will  awaken 
in  the  mind  of  the  reader  a  new  interest  in  the  sacred  lands 
of  the  Bible,  and  help  to  a  better  understanding  of  the  Book 
of  books  the  purpose  of  the  author  will  have  been  fully 
accomplished.  H.  H.  F. 


CONTENTS. 


Pagp 
Preface,        ..--------  3 

Introduction,    ---------  5 

CHAPTER  I. 
Across  the  Atlantic,     --------  9 

CHAPTER  II. 
Gibealtae  to  Alexandria,  ...---  16 

CHAPTER  III. 
Alexandeia  to  Cairo,    --------  24 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Nile  Excursion,  .-..----  33 

CHAPTER  V. 
From  Cairo  to  Jaffa,     --------  44 

•     CHAPTER  VI. 
From  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem,  -  -  -  -         ^  -  54 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Round  About  Jerusalem,         -..----  64 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Three  Hundred  Miles  on  Horseback,  .  -  .  -  78 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Dwelling  in  Tents,        --------  88 

CHAPTER  X. 
Syria  From  the  Saddle,     -------  97 

CHAPTER  XI. 
From  Beirut  to  Constantinople,    ------         105 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Constantinople,  Athens,  Naples,        -  ...  -  110 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Imperial  City,         --------         119 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Homeward  ..--.-•  -  -  130 

Index,  -.--.----•         139 


Contents 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 
Camping  at  Damascus,        .  -  .  . 

FuEEST  Bismarck,       -  .  .  .  . 

Scene  on  Deck,      -----.... 

Rock  of  Gibraltar,  ....... 

Naples  and  Mt.  Vesuvids,      ....... 

Oriental  Women,       ........ 

Quaint  Old  Plow,  ........ 

The  Island  of  Roda,  ....... 

Temple  Ruins  of  Kaenak.       ....... 

Obelisks  at  Karnak,  -  ...... 

The  Colossi,  -  -  ....... 

Driveway  to  the  Pyramids,  ...... 

Sphinx  and  Pyramid,      ...-.-.. 
Hassan  and  Issa,  Who  Assisted  the  Author  in  (Climbing  the 

Pyramids,    .---.... 

Members  of  the  Pilgrimage  Crossing  the  Desert, 

Tower  of  Ramleh,  ........ 

Via  Dolorosa,  -.--..... 

Mount  of  Olives  and  Garden  of  Gethsemane 
Pool  of  Solomon,       ...... 

Oak  of  Mamre,       ..... 

Inn  of  the  Good  Samaritan, 

Thf  Dead  Sea,   .  .  .  .         . 

Central  Square  in  Bethlehem, 
Gordon's  Calvary,  .  .  .  - 

The  Shepherd  and  his  Flock,     - 
Herod's  Colonnade  at  Samaria, 
The  Pit  at  Dothan,  .... 

Ruins  of  the  Carpenter  Shop  at  Nazareth, 

Woman  With  the  Water  Pot,     - 

The  Horse  That  Carried  the  Author  Through  Pal 

Syria,  -  .  -  .  . 

Familiar  Scene  in  Palestine,    - 
Southern  Gate  of  C.ksarea  Philippi, 
The  Street  That  Is  Called  Straight, 
The  Temple  of  the  Sun, 
Oriental  House,         .... 

Mosque  of  Ahmed,  .... 

The  Parthenon,  .... 

Broken  Columns  of  the  Forum, 
Bridge  ok  the  C.ksars,        ... 
The  Appian  Way,  .... 

Giotto's  Tower,  ..... 

The  Rialto,  ..... 

In  the  Alps.       ...... 

Paris— Notee  Dame,        .... 


Frontispiece 
12 
14 
17 
20 
25 
29 
31 
34 
39 
41 
45 
47 


49 
52 
56 
59 
62 
6.5 
67 
68 
70 
73 
76 
80 
82 
85 
89 
91 


>E8TINB  and 


92 
94 
96 
93 
100 
102 
112 
115 
121 
125 
127 
131 
132 
134 
135 


INTRODUCTION. 


On  the  10th  of  February,  1900,  twenty-two  ministers  and 
a  large  company  of  Christian  workers  set  sail  on  the  Steamer 
Fuerst  Bismarck,  with  Egypt  and  the  Holy  Land  stretching 
out  before  them  as  the  object  of  their  journey.  To  visit  the 
scenes  made  sacred  by  the  life  and  ministry  of  our  Lord  is 
a  dream  of  most  Christians,  and  it  seemed  almost  too  good 
to  be  true,  that  after  years  of  planning  our  dream  was  about 
to  be  realized.  The  journey  was  completed  the  first  of 
June,  but  as  I  sit  and  think  it  over  to-day,  I  doubt  not  but 
that  the  conviction  of  every  member  of  the  1900  pilgrimage 
is  the  same  as  my  own.  I  would  gladly  endure  the  pangs  of 
sea-sickness  and  brave  the  dangers  of  the  sea  if  only  I  might 
have  the  joy  once  more  of  entering  into  Jerusalem,  visiting 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  going  to  Bethlehem,  and  spending  the 
Sunday  upon  the  shores  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 

The  author  of  this  book  was  an  honored  member  of  the 
pilgrimage  party,  and  both  because  of  my  friendship  for  him 
lasting  through  a  number  of  years,  and  my  great  desire  that 
others  who  read  his  book,  might  catch  with  him  and  with  us 
the  pleasure  of  at  least  one  kind  of  a  journey  to  the  land  of 
sacred  memory,  I  write  this  introduction  with  the  hope 
and  prayer  that  my  own  friends  everywhere  may  read  his 
message  and  draw  from  it  the  inspiration  which  I  feel 
very  sure  is  within  its  pages  for  us. 

We  traveled  throughout  the  entire  land  in  the  sunshine 
with  the  exception  of  the  days  spent  at  Jericho  and  the  Dead 
Sea.  We  saw  everything  at  its  best  and  I  think  I  speak 
not  only  for  myself,  but  for  the  members  of  the  party  as  a 
whole,  when  I  say  that  we  were  not  at  any  time  disappointed, 
nor  had  we  at  any  place  our  ideals  shattered,  but  from  the 


viii  Introduction 

moment  our  guide  said,  "All  out  for  Jaffa,"  and  niir  feet 
pi'essed  the  sacred  soil  until  the  moment  when  in  tl\e  harbor 
at  Beirut  we  said  good-bye  to  a  number  of  the  veteran  mis- 
sionaries of  the  cross  and  sang  with  them,  "God  be  with  you 
until  we  meet  again,"  the  journey  was  a  delight.  We 
camped  at  times  where  Jesus  must  have  rested,  we  sat  with 
our  feet  in  the  grass,  our  open  Bibles  on  our  knees,  and  let 
our  eyes  look  out  upon  scenes  which  in  other  days  he  must 
have  taken  in,  and  sometimes  we  could  not  read  for  the  tears 
that  filled  our  eyes.  Somebody  once  asked  John  Bunyan 
about  heaven,  and  wanted  to  know  if  he  could  tell  them  what 
it  was  like.  He  gave  a  characteristic  answer  when  he  said, 
"Live  a  Christian  life  and  go  to  see  for  yourself,"  and  I  shall 
be  obliged  to  say  to  those  who  wish  to  know  about  this 
wonderful  journey  if  it  is  at  all  possible,  go  and  see  for  your- 
self, the  words  of  Richard  Watson  Gilder  were  much  in  my 
mind : 

"  When  I  look  upon  these  fields  and  stony  valleys, 
Through  the  purple  vale  of  twilight,  or  what  time  the  Orient  sun 
Makes  shining  jewels  of  these  barren  rocks, 
Something  within  me  trembled,  for  I  said, 
'This  picture  onco  was  mirrored  in  His  eyes, 
This  sky,  that  lake,  those  hills,  this  loveliness, 
To  Him  familiar  were.'" 

—J.   Wilbur  Chapman,  New  York  City. 


THE  1900  PILGRIMAGE. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

Across  the  Atlantic. 

In  the  preparation  of  these  pages  the  supreme  motive  of  the 
author  has  been  like  that  of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham  who 
when  in  the  place  where  Anne  of  Austria  had  whispered  that 
she  loved  him,  purposely  let  fall  a  precious  gem,  desiring 
that  by  finding  it  another  might  be  made  happy  where  he 
himself  had  been.  Most  pleasing  has  been  the  task  of  gath- 
ering for  friends  at  home  this  collection  of  incidents,  im- 
pressions, and  vision  hours, — experiences  from  lands  invested 
with  the  charms  of  immortal  associations.  Our  joys  are 
mviltiplied  by  sharing  them  with  others.  "One  can  bear 
grief,  but  it  takes  two  to  be  glad." 

The  exceeding  privilege  of  the  pilgrimage  was  the  reali- 
zation of  many  a  day-dream.  Fancies,  even  from  childhood, 
of  some  day  pressing  the  soil  made  sacred  forever  by  the 
earth-life  of  our  Lord,  and  looking  upon  scenes  once  familiar 
to  him  would  often  flush  the  cheek  and  set  the  heart  leaping. 

It  was  a  splendid  May  morning,  as  beautiful,  perhaps,  as 
God  could  make,  at  the  Union  Station  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  when 
grasping  the  hand  of  a  dear  friend,  to  whom  the  writer  is 
indebted  for  many  a  kindly  act  and  helpful  word,  that  he 
was  informed  of  the  pilgrimage,  with  its  superior  advantages, 
and  upon  invitation,  decided  to  become  a  member  of  the 
party.  It  was  an  occasion  to  which  I  shall  always  look  back 
with  pleasure  and  gratitude,  for  then  dreams  began  to  fade 
into  realities. 


10  The  1900  Pilgrimage 

The  preparation  for  a  loii<;'  journey  is  always  a  matter  of 
great  personal  interest.  One  need  not  live  a  very  large  life 
to  find  it  exceedingly  difficult  to  arrange  for  an  absence  of 
four  months  from  his  work.  An  item  of  very  anxious  con- 
cern is  the  outfit  for  the  journey.  But  aft-er  gathering  in- 
formation and  advice  from  all  sources,  most  tourists  find 
that  "one  of  the  greatest  inconveniences  of  travel,  is  to  travel 
with  too  many  conveniences."  The  benefit  of  travel  largely 
depends  upon  the  disposition  and  preparation  of  the  traveler. 
Much  time  must  be  given  to  the  study  of  the  maps  and  liter- 
ature of  the  countries  visited.  It  is  very  true  that  "the 
more  knowledge  we  carry  with  us  the  more  we  shall  bring 
back."  "That  stick,  sir,  has  been  aroxmd  the  world !"  ex- 
claimed a  man  one  day  to  Sidney  Smith,  as  he  held  out  to  him 
a  valued  cane.  "Dear  me !"  was  the  reply,  "and  yet  it  is  only 
a  stick,  after  all."  Many  travelers  have  returned  from  for- 
eign lands  as  ignorant  as  when  they  started,  because  they 
failed  to  make  the  needed  preparation  for  the  journey. 

An  ideal  winter  day  was  that  of  February  10,  when  the 
voyage  was  begun.  Friends  gathered  at  the  dock,  and 
accompanied  us  on  board  the  famous  Fuerst  Bisruarch,  with 
"Bon  voyage!"  upon  their  lips,  and  with  beautiful  flowers 
in  their  hands, — tributes  of  love  and  good  will.  Sui'cly  life 
finds  its  crown  and  coronation  in  sympathy,  and  sweet  con- 
siderateness.  At  high  noon  the  notes  of  the  bugler  an- 
nounced that  the  hour  of  our  departure  was  at  hand.  Good- 
byes were  said,  and  amid  cheers,  and  waving  handkerchiefs 
and  flags,  our  splendid  steamer  moved  out  from  the  IToboken 
piers  in  New  York  harbor  toward  the  great  o]ien  sea.  The 
vision  has  stamped  itself  iipon  my  mind  and  left  its  impress 
there  forever.  On  our  loft  was  the  Brooklyn  B)ridge,  that 
marvelous  prodiict  of  human  skill.  On  the  o^iposite  side  of 
the  barl)or  stands  Bartholdi's  statue  of  "Liberty  enliditcn- 
ing  llic  world."  Tt  is,  indeed,  eloquent  in  suggestivcness, 
standinu'  in  tlic  great  waterway  of  intcrnalional  commerce 
and  travel,  holding  in  the  hand  a  torch  of  flame  plucked 
from  heaven's  own  fires.     For  that  light  flashes  over  the  sea 


Across  the  Atlantic  11 

to  guide  the  mariner  to  the  desired  haven.  So  stands  the 
church  of  God  in  the  great  highway  of  human  society.  In 
her  hand  is  placed  the  unquenchable  flame  of  saving  truth 
as  revealed  in  the  Word  of  God.  She  is  to  keep  that  light 
aflame  and  hold  it  aloft  that  all  men  may  flnd  by  it  the  way 
to  heaven.  Beyond  Sandy  Hook  we  observe  a  little  boat 
approaching  us.  Its  mission  is  anticipated,  and  we  gather 
on  deck  and  watch  the  pilot  step  in,  and  amid  the  cheers  of 
the  company  he  returns,  carrying  with  him  many  letters  to 
friends  left  behind.  Soon  the  distant  shores  sink  beneath 
the  western  horizon  and  we  are  cut  off  from  communication 
with  the  world  to  be  "rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the  deep"  for 
many  days.  The  sigh  and  tear  cannot  be  suppressed  as  home 
fades  into  the  dim  distance.  The  thoughts  linger  with  those 
who  in  love  and  sacrifice  strengthened  their  hearts  for  the 
separation.  "Good-bye,  home,  precious  friends,  and  church- 
work;  your  very  memories  are  sweeter  far  than  the  music  of 
bells,  and  organs,  and  choirs  that  we  shall  hear  in  far-famed 
cathedrals." 

Our  steamer  is  a  magnificent  structure.  She  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  finest  ships  afloat,  and  as  safe  as  human  fore- 
sight can  secure.  Her  appointments  and  cuisine  are  unsur- 
passed by  the  finest  hotels.  The  officers  are  clever  gentlemen 
of  the  high  German  type,  from  the  thoughtful  and  gonial 
commander  down  to  the  obliging  steward.  No  effort  is  spared 
to  promote  the  comfort  and  pleasure  of  the  three  hundred 
and  eighty-eight  passengers  on  board. 

It  is  now  evening;  the  sun  is  submerged  in  a  strange 
cloud  view.  It  is  thrilling  to  see  the  noble  ship  careering 
through  the  waves.  The  mysterious  horizon  line  draws 
nearer  and  we  are  reminded  that  "they  that  go  down  to  the 
sea  in  ships  .  .  .  these  see  the  works  of  the  Lord  and  his 
wonders  in  the  deep."  Wliat  a  revelation  is  the  sparkling 
concave  of  the  sky  at  sea.  The  silvery  moon  moves  in  full 
majesty  through  the  heavens,  or  walks  in  the  beautiful  veil 
of  clouds,  escorted  by  the  sisterhood  of  stars,  keeping  pace 
with  the  feet  of  light  to  the  inusic  of  the  spheres.     In  silent 


12 


Across  the  Atlantic  13 

eloquence  these  glorious  witnesses  testify  to  the  Creator's 
power.  The  scene  is  one  of  indescribable  and  overpowering 
grandeur.  A  poet  once  stood  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Geneva 
when  a  storm  swept  across  its  beautiful  waters.  Its  voice 
was  to  him  accents  from  the  realm  of  the  inexpressible.  The 
sight  ravished  his  soul,  and  with  a  smile  and  tear-iilled  eyes, 
he  exclaimed,  "Oh,  now  you  are  telling  me  something,  I  feel 
but  have  no  words  to  express."  Such  is  the  experience  of  a 
night  at  sea.  When  weary  eyelids  drew  us  down  in  sleep 
we  committed  ourselves  with  those  that  we  love  into  the  care 
of  Him  in  whose  hands  oceans  are  as  drops  of  water,  trusting 
that  he  would  bring  us  all  at  last  into  the  desired  harbor. 

The  morning  dawned  while  nature  was  frowning,  and  old 
Neptune  began  to  exact  duty  of  many  on  board.  Sea-sickness 
is  the  remorseless  foe  to  ocean  happiness.  It  is  a  miserable 
experience  that  nobody  has  ever  been  able  to  describe.  For 
a  poor,  plague-smitten  sufferer  to  pass  under  the  gaze  of  the 
more  fortunate  is  exasperating  in  the  extreme.  It  is  an  old 
story  from  the  days  of  Cato,  who  on  his  death-bed  regretted 
only  three  things,  one  of  which  was  to  have  gone  by  sea  when 
he  could  have  gone  by  Jand.  This  rest  of  the  ocean,  for  ages, 
is  said  to  have  a  ministry  of  good  in  the  improvement  of  the 
health,  and  the  development  of  character;  teaching  meek- 
ness, patience,  and  trustfulness.  The  writer  is  slow  to  accept 
the  teaching,  but  fully  agrees  with  the  statement  that  "sea- 
sickness brings  out  of  a  man  all  that  there  is  in  him."  It 
is  nowhere  better  described  than  in  Ps.  107,  "They  reel  to  and 
fro,  and  stagger  like  a  drunken  man,  .  .  .  abhor  all  manner 
of  meat,  .  .  .  are  at  their  wits'  end,  and  draw  near  unto  the 
gates  of  death."  On  Sabbath  morning,  a  distinguished 
member  of  the  party,  whose  face  was  pale  and  steps  tottering, 
remarked  faintly,  "I  would  be  glad  if  the  preacher  to-day 
would  speak  from  Rev,  21 :  1,  'And  the  sea  was  no  more.' " 
To  many  of  us  that  morning  the  revelation  of  a  land  in 
which  there  is  no  sea,  of  a  heaven  where  life's  perils  are  ex- 
changed for  God's  own  safety,  and  where  no  barrier  keeps 
friend  from  friend,  was  a  sweet  and  precious  message.     Late 


14 


The  19U0  Pilgrimage 


at  nis'ht,  I  stood  with  a  friend  near  the  captain's  cabin  and 
looked  with  thrilling-  interest  upon  the  faithfulness  of  those 
under  his  command,  the  wrathful  billows  rolling  white- 
crested  upon  the  decks  while  clouds  of  spray  dashed  high  into 
the  air  and  fell  like  rain  upon  our  faces.  The  very  masts 
and  shrouds  about  us  seemed  to  be  converted  into  r<onorous 
harps  upon  which  the  wild  wind  played  weirdly.  Far  up 
on    the    foremast    were   two   Itrave   German    sailors.     As   the 


Scene  on  Deck. 


ship  would  rise  out  of  (lie  mysterious  troughs  into  which  it 
would  fall  again,  with  the  clash  of  thunder,  it  brought  tears 
to  my  eyes  to  hear  the  voices  of  the  two  brave  sailors  mingling 
with  the  elements,  answering  down  the  coinmander,  '' Alles 
wold!"     "Lichter  hrennen!" 

In  the  twilight  of  Thursday  evening  we  sighted  the  Azores. 
Far  in  the  distance,  as  if  a  bank  of  clouds  against  the  hori- 
zon, loomed  snow-capped  Pico,  more  than  five  thousand  feet 


Across  the  Atlantic  15 

above  the  level  of  the  sea.  These  islands  are  nine  in  number 
and  four  hundred  miles  long.  They  are  possessions  of  Por- 
tugal. The  climate  is  delightful,  with  the  temperature  rang- 
ing from  seventy  to  eighty  degrees  during  the  year.  The 
chief  products  are  lemons,  oranges,  grapes,  and  pineapples. 
The  beautiful  pepper-tree  is  a  native  of  these  islands.  Friday 
morning  afforded  a  splendid  view  of  the  green  hills,  terraced 
and  highly  cultivated,  outrivaling  in  steepness  the  hills  of 
West  Virginia.  The  sight  was  most  refreshing  after  look- 
ing upon  sky  and  water  for  six  days.  We  are  now  having 
what  would  be  ideal  May  days  in  America.  Nature  smiles 
in  beauty  and  all  have  recovered  from  the  afflictions  of  the 
stormy  days  in  the  beginning  of  the  voyage.  We  are  now 
convinced  that  the  facinations  of  a  sea  voyage  by  far  out- 
weigh its  hardships. 

It  is  Sunday  morning.  The  sunrise  was  charmingly 
beautiful.  We  are  now  entering  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar 
off  Cape  Trafalgar.  Upon  these  historic  waters,  just  before 
beginning  a  great  battle,  Lord  Nelson  hung  out  a  flag  bear- 
ing the  immortal  inscription,  and  signal,  which  was  wafted 
across  the  bay,  "England  expects  every  man  to  do  his  duty." 

Here  the  two  seas  meet,  and  the  shores  of  Europe  and 
Africa  gradually  approach  each  other,  until  at  Tarifa  they 
seem  to  be  gazing  sternly  into  each  other's  faces.  In  the 
hazy  distance  the  great  rock  which  has  been  turnei  into  the 
famous  fortress  of  Gibraltar  rises  in  majesty  from  the  sea. 


CHArXEK  II. 

Gibraltar  to  Alexandria. 

The  varied  experiences  of  the  Atlantic  voyage  came  to  a 
very  happy  ending.  Early  in  the  morning  we  were  awak- 
ened by  the  melody  of  a  sacred  song,  reminding  us  that  it 
was  the  Lord's  Day,  and  at  ten  o'clock  we  were  called  to- 
gether by  another  song  for  worship.  Music  always  has  a 
peculiar  charm  on  the  waters,  but  that  morning  po  much 
heart  and  thanksgiving  were  put  into  the  songs  that  they 
never  seemed  half  so  sweet  before.  The  sermon  was  beauti- 
ful and  inspiring.  At  noon  we  entered  the  Bay  of  Gibraltar, 
and  were  favored  with  a  splendid  view  of  the  great  rock 
which  stands  like  a  sentinel,  absolutely  commanding  the 
gateway  to  the  Mediterranean  and  the  far  east.  Outwardly 
so  harmless,  it  is  tunneled  with  great  ingenuity  at  an  enor- 
mous expense,  and  contains  eighteen  hundred  powerful  guns. 
In  these  galleries  are  stored  provisions  and  ammunition 
sufficient  to  resist  a  siege  of  seven  years.  As  our  steamer 
cast  anchor  and  the  little  boats  were  approaching  to  take  us 
ashore,  led  by  the  band,  a  large  chorus  of  voices  sang 
Luther's  grand  old  hymn  : 

"A  mighty  fortress  is  our  God ; 

A  bulwark  never  failing; 
Our  helper  he  amid  the  flood 

Of  mortal  ills  prevailing." 

We  were  highly  favonnl  in  being  permitted  to  visit  some 
of  the  fortifications  and  tunneled  galleries.  Indeed,  the 
whole  rock  is  honeycombed  and  set  with  guns  at  close  inter- 
vals, to  the  very  summit,  which  is  1,430  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  overlooking  two  seas,  and  the  rugged  coasts  of 
two  quarters  of  the  world.  The  town  bears  marks  of  antiq- 
uity, and  is  generally  uninviting.  But  the  Alameda,  which 
is  known  as  the  pride  of  Gibraltar,  is  very  beautiful.     It  is 

16 


Gibraltar  to  Alexandria 


17 


a  scene  of  perpetual  life  and  verdure  near  the  base  of  the 
massive  rock,  as  if  nature  was  endeavoring  to  conceal  the 
marks  of  warfare  wrought  in  the  long  centuries  of  its  unique 
history.  For  more  than  a  thousand  years  prior  to  1704,  when 
the  rock  came  into  the  possession  of  England,  it  had  been  a 
scene  of  bloody  struggles  between  Saracens,  Moors,  and 
Spaniards.  From  1462,  when  it  was  taken  by  Henry  IV., 
King  of  Castile,  to  1704,  when  it  was  taken  by  a  combined 
English  and  Dutch  fleet,  the  arms  of  the  town  were  a  castle 
with  a  key  hanging  from  its  gate,  typifying  its  command 


IlocK  OF  Gibraltar. 


over  the  straits.  The  Spaniards  made  desperate  efforts  from 
time  to  time  to  regain  it  but  were  always  unsuccessful.  The 
most  memorable  siege  was  that  of  1779-1783.  The  grand 
attack  was  made  on  the  13th  of  September,  1782.  That  gal- 
lant general,  Sir  Gilbert  Elliott,  whose  monument  stands  in 
the  beautiful  Alameda,  held  the  forts  with  five  thousand  three 
hundred  and  eighty-two  men,  while  France  and  Spain,  with 
forty  thousand  men  and  their  combined  fleets,  attacked  by 
land  and  sea.  It  is  claimed  that  "the  history  of  this  siege 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  war  stories,  whether  you 
ever  expect  to  visit  Gibraltar  or  not.  It  is  doubly  so  when 
2 


18  The  1900  Pilgrimage 

you  walk  the  pretty  streets  of  the  rock  to-day,  with  its  float- 
ing population  of  twenty  thousand  English,  Jews,  Spaniards, 
and  Moors,  and  try  to  imagine  the  place  held  by  six  thousand 
half-starved,  sick,  and  wounded  soldiers,  living  at  times  on 
grass  and  herbs  and  a  handful  of  rice,  and  yet  carrying  on 
an  apparently  forlorn  fight  for  four  years  against  the  entire 
army  and  navy  of  Spain,  and  at  last  against  the  arms  of 
France."  In  the  Alameda  there  were  roses,  gardenias,  and 
heliotropes  blooming.  The  lemon,  orange,  and  fig-tree,  with 
the  many  varieties  of  tropical  plants,  shrubs,  and  flowers, 
and  the  finest  species  of  ferns,  make  it  a  scene  of  rare  at- 
tractiveness in  February. 

Every  point  of  this  terraced  garden  commands  a  superb 
view.  On  the  north  is  Spain,  reaching  a  tiny  arm  out  to 
the  famous  rock.  On  the  south,  seven  miles  away,  is  Africa, 
and  beyond  these  rugged  coasts,  on  either  side,  great  moun- 
tains lift  their  heads  above  the  horizon  as  if  standing  on 
tiptoe  to  look  upon  the  famous  fortress,  watching  the  ships 
pass  in  and  out  the  straits.  At  six  o'clock  we  were  again 
on  board  the  steamer,  and  in  the  evening  twilight  we  steamed 
around  the  great  rock  and  passed  through  flu*  door  into  the 
Mediterranean. 

In  Scripture  it  is  frequently  referred  to  simply  as  "the 
sea,"  since  it  was  the  chief  one  in  the  current  thought  of 
the  Hebrews.  The  Greeks  and  Romans  usually  termed  it 
"the  sea  on  this  side  of  the  pillars  of  Hercules,"  which  were 
Gibraltar  on  the  north  and  Abyla  on  the  opposite  African 
side. 

Into  this  sea,  two  tlmnsand  niilc-^  lonu-  and  less  than  a 
hiiinh'cd  miles  wide  at  iiiniiy  i)()iiits.  i'ni])ty  llic  iiriiici]);)] 
waters  of  three  continents,  wilh  a  constant  inflow  of  tlic 
Atlantic.  Very  wonderful  is  the  ])i'ocess  of  evaporation  that 
carries  these  waters  in  fleecy  mist  back  over  the  continents 
to  be  condensed  and  flow  again  and  again  in  majesty  to  the 
sea.  It  was  concerning  this  sea  lhnt  the  wise  man  said,  "All 
the  rivers  run  into  the  sea;  yet  the  sen  is  not  full;  into  the 
place    from    wlieiice    tlie    rivers    came.    Iliitlier    fliev    velnni 


Gibraltar  to  Alexandria  19 

again."  And  yet  the  princix)les  of  the  law  here  referred  to 
were  not  discovered  until  centuries  after  Solomon's  time. 
The  associations  of  the  Mediterranean  are  its  chiefest 
charms.  What  crafts  have  sailed  over  these  billows !  The 
ship  Argo,  that  sailed  out  from  lolcus,  in  Thessaly,  to  Colchis, 
in  search  of  the  golden  fleece  in  the  grove  of  Mars,  the  stately 
ships  of  Solomon,  the  merchant  vessels  of  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
the  fleet  of  Xerxes,  Carthaginian  and  Roman  galleys,  Gen- 
oese and  Venetian  merchantmen.  It  has  been  the  highway 
of  all  the  great  nations  which  have  filled  the  world  with  their 
splendor.  Over  it  the  great  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles  sailed 
on  his  missionary  tours,  to  which  are  largely  due  the  enlight- 
enment, and  civilization,  and  proud  preeminence  of  Europe 
to-day. 

The  voyage  to  Naples  included  three  of  the  most  delight- 
ful and  sweetest  days  imaginable.  There  were  times  when 
the  sea  was  so  calm  that  it  at  least  suggested  the  "sea  of  glass 
mingled  with  fire."  Tuesday,  morning  we  sighted  the  island 
of  Sardinia.  The  mountains  appeared  destitute  of  vegeta- 
tion, and  were  not  by  any  means  attractive.  The  glass  re- 
vealed a  number  of  small  villages  dotting  the  shores.  A 
discussion  arose  as  to  whether  Paul  visited  this  island.  Wed- 
nesday morning,  February  21,  we  awoke  to  find  ourselves 
in  the  historic  Bay  of  Naples,  which  from  the  most  ancient 
times,  has  been  the  object  of  enthusiastic  admiration.  To 
our  right  stood  Mount  Vesuvius,  enveloped  in  a  clovid,  as  if 
for  the  time  to  hide  from  our  view  the  open  rupture  of  the 
summit.  The  ruins  of  ancient  castles,  perched  on  the  lower 
peaks  of  the  hills  crowning  the  city,  reminded  us  that  we 
were  now,  for  tlio  first  time,  looking  upon  the  "Old  World." 
Here  we  were  met  by  Mr.  C.  Zerrilla,  of  London,  our  con- 
ductor for  the  entire  pilgrimage,  and  who  is  held  in  highest 
esteem  by  every  member  of  the  party. 

Among  the  places  of  interest  most  enjoyed  during  the 
afternoon  drive  was  the  aquarium,  which  is  spoken  of  as  one 
of  the  most  interesting  in  the  woi'ld,  containing  the  wonder- 
ful varietv  of  marine  animate  existence  found  in  the  Medi- 


Gibraltar  to  Alexandria  21 

terranean.  Next  we  were  driven  to  Castle  St.  Elmo,  occupy- 
ing- the  highest  elevation  on  the  west  side  of  the  city.  It  is 
now  a  military  jjrison  and  museum  combined.  After  being 
shown  through  the  building  we  were  conducted  to  an  observa- 
tory where  there  broke  upon  us  a  vision  of  beauty  worth 
crossing  the  ocean  to  see.  At  our  feet  was  the  glittering 
bay;  in  front  of  us  in  majesty  stood  Vesuvius  sending  great 
volumes  of  white  smoke  into  the  blue  sky.  To  the  west  was 
the  island  of  Capri.  The  entire  city  was  in  full  view.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  bay  is  the  old  town  of  Puteoli,  where 
Paul  found  a  little  company  of  Christians  after  his  perilous 
voyage.  (Acts  28 :  13.)  We  were  loath  to  turn  away  from 
this  enchanting  scene,  for  it  was  easy  to  imagine  what  new 
and  beautiful  coloring  it  would  assume  at  sunset. 

Thursday  morning  we  visited  the  museum.  It  was,  in- 
deed, a  great  privilege  to  look  upon  such  a  heritage  of  an- 
tiquity. Here  are  found  many  of  the  original  works  of  the 
master  artists. 

At  noon,  February  22,  we  left  for  Alexandria  on  the 
Umhurto.  Dr.  Johnson  defines  a  steamship  as  "a  prison 
with  a  chance  of  being  drowned."  I  believe  that  every  mem- 
ber of  the  party  will  agree  with  me  when  I  say  that  this 
definition  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  the   Umhurto. 

At  midnight  we  passed  through  the  straits  of  Messina, 
between  Sicily  and  Italy.  Mt.  Etna  was  in  full  view.  The 
straits  are  twenty-five  miles  long  and  from  two  to  ten  miles 
wide.  The  historical  associations  of  Sicily  are  deeply  inter- 
esting. It  is  said  that  there  is  not  a  nation  which  has 
materially  influenced  the  destinies  of  European  civilization 
but  has  left  traces  of  its  agency  on  this  island. 

From  Sicily  to  Crete  we  encountered  the  roughest  sea  of 
the  entire  voyage.  After  passing  over  the  very  sea  where 
Paul  was  shipwrecked,  and  experiencing  its  perils,  we  shall 
always  read  with  new  interest  Acts  27  and  28.  Crete  is 
spoken  of  as  a  "fair  land."  It  claims  to  be  the  birthplace 
of  Zeus,  father  of  Olympian  deities,  and  of  Minas,  the  first 
monarch  who  established  a  naval  power  and  acquired  domin- 


22  The  1900  PiL(iuiMA(;E 

ion  over  the  sea.  Here  Christianity  was  early  introdueed,  and 
Titus  was  given  charge  of  the  churches.  (Titus  1:5,  10, 
14.)  We  passed  between  Crete  and  Clauda  on  Saturday 
morning,  having  entered  a  very  much  smoother  sea. 

We  are  now  nearing  the  end  of  the  voyage,  through  which 
nature  both  in  smiles  and  frowns  has  often  been  a  verger, 
showing  the  way  to  the  inmost  shrine,  the  holiest  of  all  the 
holies.  The  sparkling  heavens  above  us,  the  silvery  track  of 
the  moonlight  across  the  vast  deep,  the  breath  of  the  storm, 
and  the  moans  of  the  deep,  are  a  symphony  in  proclaiming 
the  power  and  glory  of  God.  A  sunrise  or  sunset  in  mid-ocean 
is  indescribably  beautiful.  The  cloud  views  are  often  sub- 
lime, piled  up  into  palaces  of  rosy  gold,  and  argent,  and 
amber,  willi  terraced  steps  draped  in  all  the  colors  of  the 
rainbow. 

Sixteen  days  upon  the  seas  afford  an  opportunity  for  medi- 
tation and  communion  with  self.  It  also  awakens  tender 
memories  of  other  days,  and  sweetens  the  fellowships  of  life. 
Thought  would  often  reti-ace  our  track  across  the  seas  and 
linger  with  kindred  and  friends,  whom  we  never  knew  before 
that  we  loved  so  much.  All  the  way  w-e  were  conscious  of  the 
nearness  and  tender  care  of  the  Lord,  ^^^len  we  press  our 
faces  against  the  face  of  Christ,  and  receive  the  inspiration 
that  comes  from  contact  with  him,  the  hard  places  in  life  be- 
come easy,  the  rough  places  smooth,  and  the  dangerous  places 
secure. 

We  shall  always  carry  with  us  an  enlarged  vision  of  God 
and  his  world — they  have  passed  before  us  in  greatness; 
and  a  deeper  appreciation  of  the  sweet  and  precious  truth 
tliiit  his  people  are  borne  on  the  bosom  of  a  love  unfathom- 
alilc  in   its  (lc]ifli,  and  broader 

"Than  tlio  iiioasiiro  of  man's  niiiui." 

The  Lord's  Day  dawned  licauti  fully  dear,  and  was  appre- 
ciated with  fine  gratefulness.  The  storm  had  ceased,  and 
at  noon  the  waters  were  as  peaceful  as  a  slee])ing  child.     The 


Gibraltar  to  Alexandria  23 

sermon  was  thoroughly  appreciated  by  all.  Early  in  the 
afternoon  the  famous  "Pharos  Tower,"  occupying  the  place 
of  the  father  of  lighthouses,  appeared  on  the  horizon.  It  was 
built  by  Ptolemy  II. ,  surnamed  Phihxdelphus,  284  to  216  B.  C. 
and  was  termed  the  seventh  wonder  of  the  earth.  Tlie  name 
of  the  architect,  Sostratos,  has  been  preserved  by  the  story 
that  in  order  to  perpetuate  his  name  he  cut  deep  into  one  of  the 
stones :  "Sostratos  of  Guidos,  son  of  Dixiphanus,  to  the  gods 
protecting  those  upon  the  sea."  Knowing  that  Ptolemy  would 
object  to  this  inscription,  Sostratos  covered  it  with  a  thin 
slab  of  coating  of  cement  in  which  he  engraved  Ptolemy's 
name.  In  a  few  years  the  covering  was  worn  away,  and 
the  architect's  inscription  in  his  own  honor  was  disclosed. 

Pompey's  Pillar,  and  the  domes  and  minarets  of  Alexandria 
were  in  full  view.  The  thought  was  thrilling  that  in  an- 
other hour  I  should  set  foot  upon  a  land  which  I  had  been 
taught  to  think  of  as  the  cradle  of  civilization,  where  Jesus 
spent  three  and  a  half  years  of  his  child  life. 


CHAPTER   111. 
Alexandria  to  Cairo. 

Ox  Sunday  afternoon,  February  25,  we  entered  the  historic 
Bay  of  Alexandria.  For  many  centuries  this  portal  of  the 
land  of  the  Nile  was  the  treasury  of  Oriental  commerce. 
There  is  nothing  particularly  striking  or  attractive  about 
the  coast  of  Egypt  as  one  approaches  it.  Unlike  other 
Mediterranean  coasts,  no  hills  or  mountains  skirt  its  sandy 
shores.  But  the  very  sight  of  the  land  is  indescribably 
impressive,  and  begets  a  feeling  of  reverence.  Time  has 
clothed  it  with  a  strange  and  solemn  charm.  Long  before 
Abraham  walked  with  angels  on  the  plains  of  Mamre,  Egypt 
was  studded  with  great  cities,  and  had  developed  a  complete 
system  of  civilization.  The  manners,  customs,  modes  of  life, 
and  social  conditions  of  the  people  have  an  imperishable 
memorial  in  the  records  inscribed  on  the  monuments. 

While,  from  the  upper  deck  of  the  steamer,  we  gazed  through 
a  glass  upon  the  old  city,  each  moment  bringing  us  nearer 
and  revealing  new  objects  of  interest  to  inspire  the  imagina- 
tion, the  poetic  dream  was  suddenly  broken  by  a  wonderful 
noise.  It  was  the  babel  of  tongues  from  a  motley  collection 
of  human  beings  on  the  shore,  with  costumes  almost  endless 
in  variety  of  shape  and  color,  waiting, — no,  I  should  say, 
dancing  and  yelling  like  Indians  in  their  anxiety  to  take 
possession  of  us.  What  a  blending  of  colors  and  nation- 
alities! Arabs,  Turks,  Syrians,  Copts,  Nubians,  Greeks,  Jews, 
Armenians,  Albanians,  Levantines,  Italians,  Maltese,  French, 
English,  Austrians.  One  is  almost  horrified  at  the  thought 
of  falling  into  the  hands  of  such  a  mob. 

IFore  the  cry  of  "halshecsh"  greeted  us  for  the  first  time, 
and  after  a  few  days'  experience  we  were  thoroughly  con- 
vinced that  it  is  the  alpha  and  omega  of  the  existence  of  the 
great  mass  of  the  population  of  Egypt.     We  are  told  that  the 

24 


Oriental  Women. 


25 


26  The  1900  Pilgrimage 

children  are  taught  to  say  hahslteesh  before  they  are  taught 
to  say  father  or  mother.  i^oUowing  our  guide  through  the 
crowd,  to  which  it  seemed  that  every  nation  under  the  sun 
had  sent  a  representative,  wc  were  placed  in  carriages  and 
driven  to  Hotel  Abbat 

After  a  satisfying  dinner  we  attended  services  at  an  Eng- 
lish, Episcopal  church.  A  coincidence  that  caused  a  smile 
to  play  over  the  faces  of  our  company  was  that  the  rector 
announced  the  same  text  discoursed  upon  by  our  speaker  at 
the  service  on  the  steamer  the  same  day.  The  sermon  was 
quite  good,  and  the  entire  service  was  in  its  effect  a  quiet 
evening  benediction. 

We  returned  through  tlie  famous  "Mohammet  Ali  Scpiare." 
The  appearance  of  the  buildings  suggests  a  city  of  Italy.  The 
square  was  brilliantly  illuminated  and  the  scenes  most  novel. 
The  dusky  natives  sipping  their  coffee,  and  playing  their 
games;  men  and  women  of  every  dress.  The  Oriental  women 
possess  splendid  figures.  They  become  as  erect  as  statues 
from  eari'ying  heavy  burdens  upon  their  heads.  The  face 
is  covered  by  the  hideous  veil.  Some  one,  obtaining  by 
accident  a  glimpse  of  a  certain  face,  said  that  "its  features 
were  so  out  oi  liavmony  with  the  form  of  the  woman," 
that  evidently  ]\I()hamnie(l  was  clear-sighted  when  he 
placed  the  codicil  in  tlie  Koran  which  compels  the 
women  of  his  faith  to  wear  the  veil.  Beggars  crowded  us 
on  every  side.  Near  the  hotel  we  placed  a  coin  in  the  hand 
of  an  old  Bedouin,  and  he  offered  a  prayer  which  our  drago- 
man said  was  that,  "God  miglit  give  us  the  highest  i)la('e  in 
heaven." 

The  following  nioniing  we  visited  "Pompey's  Pillar,"  which 
is  the  only  iiiqiortant  relic  of  antiquity  remaining  in  the 
city.  It  is  an  inqiosing  column  of  rod  granite  one  hundred 
and  four  feet  high,  reared  about  three  hundred  years  before 
Christ,  not  to  the  memory  of  Caesar's  illustrious  rival,  Pom- 
pey  the  (Ireat.  as  soiiio  sni)i)(isc.  biil  in  Ikhkh-  (if  llic  Rdinan 
EmiMTor  I^ioclil  inn,  by  a  ccrtjiiii  Rtuiijiii  pn't'ci't  named 
I'niiipiy.      While    the    wear     of     t  wcnl  v-tbrcc     ccnl  ui'ics     lins 


Alexandria  to  Cairo  27 

marred  its  beauty,  it  still  promises  to  stand  for  centuries  to 
come. 

This  elevation  is  illustrious  ground,  because  it  was  the 
center  of  the  ancient  city,  which  was  the  second  of  that 
mighty  empire  which  stretched  from  the  Euphrates  to  the 
Pillars  of  Hercules,  and  from  the  mouth  of  the  Rhine  to 
the  Mountains  of  the  Moon.  Here  once  stood  the  magnificent 
temple  of  Serapis,  which  vied  with  the  Roman  capital  in 
splendor,  and  contained  the  priceless  library  of  seven  hundred 
thousand  volumes,  which,  in  the  days  of  the  Ciesars,  was 
ruthlessly  consigned  to  the  flames.  The  foundation  for  a 
second  library  was  laid  by  Antony  and  Cleopatra,  and 
Alexandria  was  again  made  the  scholar's  Mecca.  But  in 
the  seventh  century  when  the  Mohammedans  took  the  city. 
Caliph  Omar  declared  that  the  Koran  contained  all  needed 
information,  and  that  no  other  books  had  a  right  to  exist, 
and  decreed  that  the  great  library  should  at  once  be 
destroyed,  which  history  has  recognized  as  the  most  crush- 
ing blow  ever  inflicted  on  literature.  Few  cities  in  the  world 
have  occupied  so  conspicuous  a  place  in  history.  For  many 
years  it  was  the  principal  seat  of  Grecian  learning.  Here  the 
Flebrew  scriptures  were  translated  into  Greek  by  seventy 
interpreters  two  centuries  before  Christ;  here  St.  Mark 
founded  a  Christian  Church  which  became  of  great  promi- 
nence, and  if  we  are  to  believe  the  tradition  here  he  won  the 
martyr's  crown ;  here  flourished  a  theological  school  in  which 
Clement  and  Origen  were  teachers.  It  was  also  the  home 
of  Philo,  Clement,  and  Athanasius.  There  is  no  chapter  in 
history  more  sweeping  and  strangely  pathetic  than  that  which 
closed  the  career  of  Alexandria  to  the  Christian  world. 

Among  the  few  things  that  now  connect  the  city  with  a 
glorious  past,  are  the  catacombs  on  the  outskirts.  These 
possess  a  weird  interest  and  are  of  the  same  general  character 
as  those  at  Rome.  In  its  palmy  days  Alexandria  is  said  to 
have  numbered  a  half  million  inhabitants.  The  present 
population  is  about  two  hundred  and  forty  thousand.  It  has 
lost  all  its  ancient  beauty  except  its  fruits  and  flowers,  its 


28  The  1900  Pilcui.maoe 

transparent  atmosphere  antl  sunny  skies.  The  banyan,  syca- 
more, bamboo,  tamarisk,  lemon,  citron,  palm,  mulberry,  and 
pepper  trees  are  perhaps  as  abundant  and  beautiful  as  they 
were  in  the  days  of  the  Pharaohs.  These  with  the  laby- 
rinth of  foliage  in  many  of  the  parks  still  give  them  the 
picturesque  character  of  a  real  garden  of  God. 

After  an  enjoyable  carriage  drive  to  many  places  of  inter- 
est round  about  the  city  we  boarded  an  afternoon  train  for 
Cairo.  A  ride  of  three  hours  and  a  half  in  an  English  coach 
drawn  by  an  American  engine,  brought  us  to  the  well-named 
"Gem  of  the  Orient,"  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
one  miles.  Forty  miles  east  of  Alexandria  is  the  town  of 
Rosetta,  famed  by  the  "Rosetta  stone,"  which  was  found  in 
1799  by  Bousard,  an  officer  of  Napoleon's  army.  This  inscrip- 
tion was  carved  on  a  block  of  basalt  and  contained  a  decree 
by  the  Egyptian  priests  in  honor  of  Ptolemy  Y.,  dated  in  the 
eight  3^ears  of  his  reign,  B.  C.  196.  The  inscription  apivared 
in  the  hieroglyphic,  demotic,  and  Greek  texts,  furnishin"'  a 
key  to  the  inscriptions  of  the  monuments,  and  revealing  the 
secrets  of  the  hieroglyphics  of  ancient  Egyptians,  that  had 
been   forgotten   for  fourteen   centuries. 

The  landscape  as  we  speed  across  the  delta  of  the  Nile 
presents  a  scene  very  similar  to  that  of  the  grand  prairie  of 
Illinois.  The  country  is  marvelously  fertile,  and  the  soil  is 
constantly  enriched  by  the  river.  Among  the  principal 
products  are  cotton,  cane,  corn,  wheat,  barley,  rice,  and  alfalfa 
clover.  The  principal  method  of  in-igation  is  by  the  srkipli 
which  is  a  water-mill  of  cogged  wheels.  From  a  distance  it 
has  the  appearance  of  the  old  cane-mill.  It  is  turned  by 
a  buffalo  or  camel,  and  each  revolution  of  the  wheel  works 
up  a  series  of  earthen  pitchers  which  onipfy  themselves  into 
a  pool  or  gutter,  whence  it  is  worked  by  I  lie  foot  into  the 
appointed  channels.  In  contrast  to  this  style  of  work  it  is 
said  that  the  land  which  the  Israelites  should  possess  "is 
not  as  the  land  of  Egypt,  where  thou  snwedst  thy  seed,  .  .  . 
and  watoredst  it  with  thy  font,  .  .  .  l)Ut  is  a  land  of  hills  and 
valleys,  and  driiikctb  water  of  llie  rniii  of  lienven"  (Dent. 
11:10-12). 


Alexandria  to  Cairo  29 

It  is  interesting  to  watch  them  plowing  with  the  quaint 
old  plow  drawn  by  buffaloes.  The  green  valley  is  dotted  with 
cattle,  flocks  of  sheep,  and  goats.  It  is  also  noted  for  its 
variety  of  birds.  Strange  sights  present  themselves  as 
we  advance.  Caravans  of  camels  and  donkeys,  loaded 
with  grain,  hay,  and  chicken-coops;  crowds  of  half- 
naked  men,  women,  and  children;  Bedouin  encampments, 
and  mud  villages,  the  same  in  pattern,  doubtless,  as  they 
were  when  the  world  was  in  its  infancy.  Some  of  the  poor 
little  children  have  their  eyes  eaten  out  by  the  flies.  There 
are  many  emotions  to  be  stirred  by  the  famous  memorials  of 
a   dead   past,   but   the   living   scenes   of   to-day   are   equally 


impressive.  Before  reaching  Cairo  we  caught  the  first 
glimpse  of  the  pj-ramids  on  the  west,  and  the  wild,  dreamy, 
mysterious  desert  on  the  east.  Soon  we  are  pleasantly  housed 
in  the  famous  "Shepherds"  and  Continental  hotels  of  the 
"great  Al  Cairo,"  as  Milton  calls  it,  the  city  of  Saladin  and 
the  Arabian  Nights. 

The  city  has  a  population  of  four  hundred  thousand,  and 
has  been  the  capital  of  Egypt  for  a  thousand  years.  An 
Arab  writer  says  that  "He  who  hath  not  seen  Cairo  hath 
not  seen  the  world;  its  soil  is  gold;  its  Nile  is  a  wonder; 
its  houses  are  palaces ;  its  air  is  soft,  its  odour  surpassing 
that  of  aloe's  wood  and  cheering  the  heart ;  and  how  can 
Cairo  be  otherwise,  when  it  is  the  mother  of  the  world?" 


30  The  1900  Pilgrimage 

Our  first  excursion  was  to  Ileliopolis,  eight  miles  north- 
east of  the  city.  The  place  is  referred  to  in  the  Scriptures 
as  On,  the  abode  of  the  sun  (Gen.  41:45),  Beth-Sheniesh 
the  house  of  the  sun  (Jer.  43:13),  Aven  (Ezek.  30:17). 
Here  in  remote  antiquity  an  imperial  city  stood,  in  which 
was  centered  all  the  learning  of  the  Orient.  It  was  indeed 
the  Oxford  of  old  Egypt.  Here  stood  the  great  temple  of 
the  sun  in  wliicli  twelve  thousand  priests  ministered.  Here 
Abraham  and  Sarah  visited  to  escape  the  famine  in  Canaan. 
Here  Joseph  married  Asenath,  the  beautiful  daughter  of 
Potiphar. 

Tlici'c  i>;  a  beaut  i  fill  .Icwish  legend  that  shc^  (lis(l;iiiic(l  all 
lovers  except  Pharaoh's  oldest  son,  who  loved  her,  but  was 
forbidden  by  Pharaoh  to  marry  her.  When  she  saw  Joseph 
she  was  captivated  by  his  beauty,  and  said,  "!My  lord,  blessed 
of  the  most  high  God,"  and  at  her  father's  biddiim-  made 
bold  to  kiss  him.  Joseph  refused  to  kiss  an  i(li)lntn)us 
woman,  but  seeing  her  tears,  he  laid  his  hand  on  her  head, 
and  prayed  God  to  convert  her  to  the  true  faith  and  then 
departed.  She  threw  her  idols  away,  repented  seven  days, 
saw  an  angel  of  comfort,  and  was  married  to  Joseph  by 
Pharaoh   in  great  pomp. 

Here  the  family  of  .Jacob  residc^d  on  their  arrival  in 
Egypt;  here  Moses  was  taught  in  all  the  wisdom  <if  the 
Egyptians;  here  Plato  resided  i'uv  thirteen  years  im- 
bibing that  sublime  belief  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul 
which  ho  afterwards  taught;  here  Herodotus  stuch'ed  his- 
tory. l'>iit  the  old  city  has  disappeared  to  its  very  l"i)iinda- 
tions,  and  its  habitation  is  marked  by  a  circuit  of  inonuds 
and  a  solitary  obelisk  forty-eight  feet  in  height,  ^^fy  eyes 
fille<l  with  tears  as  I  stood  in  the  presence  of  this  s])lendid 
monument  of  antiriuity  which  has  been  standing  in  solitary 
gi'audeur  and  iiiilirolxeu  silence  foi-  forlN'  cenluries.  'i'be 
hieroglyphics  mi  its  three  sides  an'  well  in-eserved. 

Xear  by  is  the  "Virgin's  Tree,"  under  which,  according  to 
the  Pontic  legend,  ATary  rested  with  .lesu-;  aftef  her  tliiibt 
from  tile  wratli  of  Herod.  'I'lie  iboULiht  is  tlirilling  that 
])i-oliai>ly  .lesiis  was  once  here. 


Alexandria  to  Cairo  31 

A  few  steps  away  is  the  "Miraculous  Fountain,"  which, 
according  to  the  tradition,  was  once  salt,  but  turned  sweet 
when  the  Virgin  Mary  bathed  the  Holy  Child  in  its  waters. 

We  next  visited  the  citadel,  a  massive  fortress  built  in  1166. 
It  contains  the  alabaster  tomb  of  Mahomet  Ali  and  one  of 
the  finest  mosques  of  the  city.  On  entering  we  were  required 
to  wear  sandals,  as  in  all  the  mosques  we  have  visited  Walk- 
ing through  the  outer  court  I  could  close  my  eyes  and  almost 
see  the  slaughter  of  the  Mamelukes  which  occurred  in  the 
same  spot  in  1811,  by  the  order  of  Mahomet  Ali,  their 
political  enemy.  As  became  their  fearless  character,  it  is 
said   "they  met  their  doom,   some  with  arms   crossed  upon 


The  Island  of  Roda. 

their  bosoms,  and  turbaned  heads  devoutly  bowed  in  prayer; 
some  with  flashing  swords  and  fierce  curses,  alike  unavailing 
against  their  dastard  and  ruthless  foe."  The  view  from  the 
pavilion  is  a  picture  that  never  can  be  forgotten. 

The  "Sultan  Hassan  Mosque"  has  been  termed  the  gem  of 
the  Mohammedan  artistic  world.  It  is  said  that  the  designer 
was  put  to  death  or  had  his  hands  cut  off  by  his  appreciative 
master  to  prevent  a  repetition  of  his  artistic  triumph. 

We  next  visited  the  island  of  Roda,  where  Moses  was  born 
and  along  whose  banks  he  was  hid  among  the  bulrushes. 

Several  hours  were  spent  in  the  Gizeh  Museum  which 
contains  a  marvelous  collection  of  Egyptian  art,  niummies, 
and  souvenirs  of  the  days  of  the  Pharaohs.  Cairo  is  well 
compared  to  "a  living  museum  of  all  imaginable   and  un- 


32  The  1900  Pilgrimage 

imaginable  phases  of  existence,  of  refinement  and  degeneracy, 
of  civilization  and  barbarism,  of  knowledge  and  ignorance, 
of  paganism,  Christianity,  and  Mohammedanism."  While 
the  city  contains  a  section  that  is  thoroughly  European, 
with  elegant  residences  and  beautiful  streets,  not  far  away 
in  the  narrow  streets  is  the  darkest  picture  of  the  poverty, 
wretchedness,  and  filth  of  basest  heathenism.  But  a  change 
is  coming.  Western  civilization  is  gradually  undermining 
the  old  fanaticism  and  power  of  the  Turks.  Churches  and 
schools  are  being  established.  All  these  are  prophecies  of  a 
better  future  that  is  dawning,  when  the  Egypt  of  the  past 
will  be  as  a  dream  that  once  has  been. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

NiLK  Excursion. 

A  VERY  attractive  feature  of  our  pilgrimage  was  "The  Nile 
excursion,'"  extending  to  the  first  cataract,  the  dividing  line 
between  Egypt  and  Nubia.  This  journey,  covering  eleven 
days,  was  begun  on  the  evening  of  March  3.  A  special  train, 
composed  of  sleepers,  very  cozy  and  comfortable,  carried  us 
from  Cairo  to  Luxor,  a  distance  of  four  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  where  the  steamer  Rameses  was  waiting  to  take  us  to 
the  cataract.  The  Sabbath  dawned  in  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful and  fertile  sections  of  the  valley. 

This  historic  river  flows  through  Egyi)t  a  distance  of  a 
thousand  miles,  without  a  single  tributary,  turning  the  great 
desert  into  a  garden.  No  wonder  the  ancients  worshiped  it 
as  a  god,  for  it  is  indeed  a  river  of  life.  The  inspiring- 
scene  was  contrasted  by  the  degraded  condition  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, living  in  their  miserable  mud  huts  without  roof  or 
furniture,  on  an  equality  with  their  cattle  and  donkeys.  The 
soil  is  easily  cultivated,  and  the  most  primitive  methods  are 
used.  A  rude  wooden  plow,  a  hoe,  a  knife,  and  a  water- 
hoisting  shadoof,  built  on  the  principle  of  the  old  well- 
sweep,  constitute  a  farmer's  outfit.  It  is  interesting  to 
see  how  they  utilize  the  gracious  river  by  the  constant  use 
of  their  various  methods  of  irrigation. 

To  every  square  mile  of  tillable  soil  there  are  nine  hundred 
and  twenty-eight  human  beings.  The  land  is  estimated  at 
$105  per  acre.  The  foreign  bonded  indebtedness  naturally 
based  on  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  country  averao'PS  $75.74 
per  acre.  As  in  the  days  of  Israel  oppression  still  prevails 
in  Egypt.  The  average  land  tax  is  over  $4  per  acre.  In  his 
book  on  "Present  Day  Egypt,"  Mr.  Penfield  says  that  "the 
scheme  of  the  political  administration  of  Egypt  is  as  diffi- 
3  33 


Nile  Excursion.  35 

cult  to  understand  as  are  the  hieroglyphics  of  the  monu- 
ments. 

"Nominally  a  province  of  the  Ottoman  empire,  Egypt  is 
autonomous,  subject  only  to  a  yearly  tribute  to  the  sultan 
of  about  three  million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The 
title  of  its  ruler  means  sovereign  or  king  without  qualifica- 
tion or  limitation;  yet  the  country  is  in  large  measure 
administered  by  Great  Britain,  standing  in  the  capacity  of 
trustee  for  creditors  of  her  own  and  of  several  other  nation- 
alities as  well.  This  trusteeship  is  voluntary  on  England's, 
part,  and  is  forced  upon  the  Khedival  government." 

The  city  of  Siut  located  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
south  of  Cairo,  is  the  capital  of  Upper  Egypt,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  thirty  thousand.  It  is  a  center  of  religious  influence. 
Here  are  located  mission  schools  for  the  practical  and  useful 
education  of  the  natives ;  also,  a  theological  school  for  the 
training  of  native  missionaries.  The  United  Presbyterian 
Church  is  doing  a  noble  work  for  the  redemption  of  Egypt.. 

We  arrived  at  Luxor  at  noon,  and  went  aboard  the  steamer, 
where  an  elegant  dinner  was  in  waiting.  This  is  a  town  of 
two  thousand  inhabitants,  located  on  the  site  of  ancient 
Thebes.  Here,  among  the  ruins  of  what  was  once  the  center 
of  the  world's  grandeur,  we  spent  three  exceedingly  interest- 
ing days.  A  few  miles  north  of  the  town  are  the  famous, 
temple  ruins  of  Ivarnak,  which  we  visited  the  following' 
morning  on  donkeys,  passing  through  groves  of  palm  and 
acacia  covering  the  old  streets  of  Thebes,  which  perhaps  lie 
buried  far  beneath.  Passing  through  the  ai'chway  on  the 
south  we  entered  the  "Avenue  of  the  Sphinxes,"  leading:  up 
to  .the  temple.  This  same  avenue,  it  is  said,  originally  con- 
nected the  Temple  of  Luxor  and  Karnak,  six  thousand  five 
hundred  feet  long  and  eighty  feet  wide.  These  avenues  are 
five  in  number,  each  differing  in  appearance,  different  ani- 
mals being  represented.  Some  of  these  are  now  being  un- 
covered. A  large  company  of  boys  and  girls,  singing  their 
wild  work-gang  chant,  and  bearing  the  lash  of  their  cruel 
drivers,   were    carrying    away    the    rubbish    in    baskets    ^ipon 


36  The  1!»00  Pilgrimaoe 

their  heads.  AVhile  looking  upon  this  scene,  a  bright-eyed 
boy  of  about  ten  summers  from  tlie  mission,  appeared  in  our 
midst  and  thrilled  us  by  singing  in  our  own  tongue, 

"Tlirre  is  a  bappy  land, 
Far,  far  away." 

I  shall  nut  attempt  to  catalogue  the  marvels  uf  this  temple. 
Its  splendid  architecture  and  workmanship,  its  forest  of  ma- 
jestic colunuis  and  massive  capitals,  its  colossi,  statues,  and 
obelisks,  its  ornamental  carvings,  and  hieroglyphics  of  his- 
toric value,  all  speak  of  its  former  splendor.  No  <  thev 
building  on  earth  can  niatcli  it  in  diiiicnsions.  The  tem- 
ple itself  is  about  two  miles  in  circumference,  and  the 
entire  enclosure,  it  is  said,  covers  one  thousand  ac-rcs.  As 
the  scene  is  now  vividly  before  me  I  can  almost  hear  the 
voice  of  Esau,  our  dragoman,  "Follow  me.  I  fihojv  i/oii  all." 
We  stood  on  the  pier  that  once  supported  the  arch  that 
spanned  the  splendid  avenue  leading  westward  to  the  river. 
Here  we  could  appreciate  its  architectural  design  and  won- 
derful regularity  suggesting  its  original  magnificence.  I'el- 
zoni  says,  "The  sublimest  ideas  derived  from  the  most  mag- 
nificent specimens  of  modern  architecture,  cannot  equal  those 
imparted  by  a  sight  of  these  ruins.  I  appeared  to  be  enter- 
ing a  city  of  departed  giants,  and  I  seemed  alone  in  the  midst 
<it'  all  that  was  most  sacred  in  the  world.  Tlie  enormous 
eohuniis  a(loi-ne(l  all  around  with  beautiful  figures,  and 
various  ornaments,  the  high  portals  secMi  at  a  distance  from 
the  oi)enings  of  this  labyrinth  of  edifie(>s.  the  various  groups 
(if  ruins  in  the  adjoining  temples — these  had  sui'h  an  <>ffect 
as  to  separate  me  in  imagination  from  the  rest  <it'  mortals. 
and  make  me  seem  unconscious  whetluM-  F  was  on  eai'th  or 
some  other  planet." 

The  ins'-riptions  show  that  each  successive  ruler.  (Vom 
Tsertsen  7.,  B.  (\  243:^.  to  Alexander  B.  C.  PA2.  made  a  eontri- 
liution  to  ibis  niagnifieent  slru'-tnre.  What  an  expenditure 
of  wealth  and  saerifice  <>{'  human  life  il  I'epresents !  On  the 
noHb   wall   are   the   iii<-lui'ed    recoi'ds  of   the   victories  of   Seti 


Nile  Excursion  37 

I.  over  the  Syrians  and  Armenians.  On  the  outside  of  the 
south  wall  is  written  the  famous  poem  of  Pan-te-eur,  in 
which  he  praises  the  victories  and  glories  of  Rameses  the 
Great.  On  the  same  wall,  near  by,  are  the  pictured  g^lories 
of  Shishak's  victories.  One  hundred  and  fifty  cartouches 
(emblems  of  royalty)  bear  the  names  of  the  kings  and  towns 
captured,  including  the  king  of  Judah,  the  account  of  which 
is  given  in  I.  Kings  14 :  25,  26  and  II.  Chr.  12 :  2-9.  Instead 
of  placing  an  interrogation  point  at  the  close  of  the  historical 
books  of  the  Bible,  Egyptology  is  simply  a  comment  on  the 
statement  in  the  last  chapter  of  the  sacred  book,  "These 
sayings   are  faithful  and  true." 

The  wealth  and  glory  of  ancient  No,  or  Thebes  of 
which  her  scattered  ruins  speak,  have  long  since  departed. 
Her  silver,  gold,  ornaments  of  ivory,  and  precious  stones,  have 
been  carried  away  by  the  vandals.  Her  "hundred  gates" 
and  "twenty  thousand  chariots"  are  covered  in  the  sand.  In 
the  days  of  her  glory  the  inspired  prophets  gave  a  thrilling- 
picture  of  her  present  desolation  ( Jer.  46  :  26 ;  Ezek.  30 :  14- 
16;  Nah.  3:8-10),  and  after  almost  thirty  centuries  we  are 
permitted  to  witness  the  scene.  I  shall  never  cease  to  be 
thankful  for  the  privilege  of  looking  upon  this  impressive 
picture  of  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy. 

The  following  morning  we  were  transfei-red  to  the  west 
bank  of  the  river,  where  donkeys  were  in  waiting  to  carry  us 
to    the    tombs    of   the   kings. 

A  company  of  eighty  persons,  composed  of  old  men  and 
wonaen,  young  men  and  maidens,  the  majority  of  whom 
were  without  any  experience  in  horseback  riding,  crossing  the 
sandy  plain  on  these  little  animals,  presented  one  of  the 
most  amusing  scenes   imaginable. 

After  an  hour's  ride  we  ca»ie  to  the  Temple  of  Kurnali 
built  by  Seti  I.  in  memory  of  his  father,  Tlameses  I.,  which 
stands  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  due  west  from 
Karnak.  From  this  point  we  proceeded  through  a  dreary 
pass  in  the  mountains,  which  was  a  picture  of  death  on  every 
hand,  not  a  spear  of  living  vegetation  to  be  seen.     In  about 


38  The  1900  PiLcRi.MA.iE 

three  miles  we  i-eached  the  desolate  tombs  that  once  contained 
the  bodies  of  Egypt's  noted  kings.  They  consist  of  long, 
inclined  planes,  cut  in  solid  limestone,  with  a  number  of 
chambers  receding  into  the  mountain,  sometimes  to  a  dis- 
tance of  five  hundred  feet.  The  size  corresponds  to  the 
length  of  the  reign  of  the  builder.  The  motive  tliat  induced 
the  cutting  of  these  tombs  in  the  heart  of  the  mountain 
was  that  the  body  might  be  concealed  from  profane  eyes 
or  disturbing  touch  until  awakened  from  the  sleep  of  death. 
Their  faith  in  human  immortality  is  beautifully  and  vividly 
illustrated  in  figures  and  paintings.  There  where  "the  sun 
went  daily  to  its  setting"  they  laid  away  their  dead  with 
tlie  hope  of  a  sure  and  certain  resurrection  at  the  dawn. 

The  prevailing  spirit  of  the  reign  of  the  deceased  is  ex- 
pressed in  the  decorative  designs,  whetlier  it  lie  art,  the 
science  of  astronomy,  military  conquests,  or  agricultural 
pursuits.  They  also  aimed  to  reproduce,  as  far  as  possible  in 
the  carving  and  painting,  the  objects  with  which  the  dead 
monarch  was  best  acquainted,  so  that  he  might  awake  amid 
familiar  scenes.  Their  art  of  embalming  and  preserving  a 
body  was  very  wonderful,  including  a  process  of  seventy 
day>. 

The  nuimmies  were  removed  t'rdni  ihose  sepulchers,  some 
■say,  about  B.  C.  966,  to  secure  them  fi-om  native  thieves; 
others  say  that  they  were  taken  away  by  tlu^  priests  about 
V).  C  5'27  (o  pi'eveiil  their  discovery  by  the  Persians.  A 
few  years  ago  after  a  peridil  of  more  than  twenty-five  cen- 
turies, the  ])lace  of  their  habitation  was  discovered  by  a 
native  Arab  named  Ahdcr-lhisnJ  Aliiinnl.  it  was  in  the 
mountains  near  T)er-el-P>ahara,  located  a  few  miles  west 
of  Thebes.  His  first  liope  was  to  keep  the  knowledvic  of 
the  treasures  locked  up  in  liis  own  heart,  but  tinding 
that  he  was  unable  to  despoil  the  coffins  of  their  valuables 
he  revealed  the  secret  to  bis  two  brothers  and  to  one 
<>i'  his  sons.  It  is  (piite  remarkable  that  these  anli(pn'lies 
were  sold  to  tourists  foi-  ten  .\ears  before  ine  students  of 
Egyptology  detected  that  the  "tind"  had  been  made,  and  that 


^:.j5t 


OBELISKS  AT   KARNAK. 


39 


40  The  1900  PihURiMAOE 

it  was  then  revealed  to  them  by  an  Enjilish  officer.  Ahmad 
was  arrested,  but  in  spite  of  many  threats  and  persuasions, 
and  many  cruel  tortui-es,  he  persisted  in  declaring  that  he 
was  innocent  of  any  knowledge  of  the  tind.  After  his  release 
fortunately  for  students  of  Egyptology,  differences  of 
opinion  broke  out  between  the  parties.  Soon  after,  when 
Ahmad  perceived  that  his  brothers  were  determined  to  turn 
King's  evidence,  he  quietly  went  to  Keneh  and  confessed  to 
the  Mudir  that  he  was  able  to  reveal  the  place  where  the  an- 
tiquities were  found.  Telegrams  were  sent  to  Cairo  and  an 
expedition  was  at  once  made  up  under  M.  Brugsch  and  or- 
dered to  Thebes.  They  were  conducted  by  the  prisoner  to  the 
shaft  of  the  tomb,  which  was  most  carefully  hidden  in  a  se- 
cluded place  in  tlic  mountain.  The  pit  was  alxiul  forty  feet 
deep,  and  the  passage,  of  irregular  level,  which  led  up  to  the 
tomb,  was  about  two  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long;  at  the  end 
of  this  passage  was  a  nearly  rectangular  chamber  about 
twenty-five  feet  long  filled  with  coffins  which  proved  to 
'Contain  the  mummies  of  the  kings  of  the  seventeenth 
eighteenth,  nineteenth,  twentieth,  and  twenty-first  dynas- 
ties, B.  C.  1700-1000.  It  was  in  July,  1887.  They 
were  immediately  removed  to  Cairo.  A  number  were 
unwrapped,  their  names  read,  and  placed  in  the  museum, 
where  their  features  were  again  shown  to  the  world 
after  a  lapse  of  thirty-two  hundred  years.  In  August  of  last 
year  a  new  ai)artment  of  the  cave  was  discovered,  containing 
eight  nunnmies,  one  of  which  proved  to  be  Mineptah,  the 
Pharaoli  of  the  Kxodus  Tlie  name  was  read  on  ilic  10th  of 
February.  'I'his  is  rcgai'dcd  as  an  ini])oi-lant  tiud.  and  throws 
great  light  on  an  inscription  found  ui»on  a  tablet  discovered 
about  three  years  ago,  which  the  (ierman  critics  hold  shows 
conclusively  that  thei'e  never  was  an  lv\o(his.  The  history 
of  the  past  has  been,  and  so  it  will  be  in  the  future,  that 
when  the  destructive  critics  think  tlicy  have  succeeded  in 
proving  portions  of  the  Bible  false,  God  sends  out  a  man 
with  a  jiick  to  dig  up  a  tal)let  in  testimony  to  the  truth  of 
his  word. 


Nile  Excursion 


41 


A  visit  to  the  Ramesseum  was  of  special  interest.  On  our 
return  we  halted  for  a  time  at  the  Colossi,  still  lifting  their 
heads  fifty  feet  above  the  sands, 

"Grim  monarchs  of  the  silent  plain, 

Seated  in  motionless,  sublime  repose, 
With  faces  turned  forever  toward  the  dawn. 
With  eyes  that  sleep  not,  lips  that  ne'er  enclose," 

still   j^nardins  the   great  memnonium   of   King  Amenophis,. 
whose  name  is  recorded  upon  their  pedestals.     One  of  them 


The  Colossi. 


is  celebrated  in  poetry  and  prose  as  the  "Vocal  Statue  of 
Memnon."  Ancient  Greeks  and  Romans  claim  to  have  heard 
its  musical  tones  at  the  rising  of  the  sun. 

On  the  following  day  when  our  eyes  were  tired  looking 
upon  the  ruins  of  temples,  a  very  cozy  and  commodious 
building  was  pointed  out  in  a  grove  near  Luxor,  which  proved 
to  be  a  hospital  for  natives,  built  in  1891,  by  Messrs.  Brunner 
and  Cook,  of  London.  This  is  a  monument  very  much  more 
worthy  and  lasting  than  the  structures  of  granite  on  every 
hand  hnilt  for  self-glorification     Late   in  the  afternoon  we 


42  The  1900  PiL(jRiMA(iK 

left  for  Assuan  and  the  cataract,  about  eiglit  hundred  miles 
from  the  ^Mediterranean.  The  followinf^;-  day  we  halti'd  at 
the  splendid  temple  ruins  at  P]dfu.  Saturday,  March  10,  we 
arrived  at  Assuan.  On  account  of  an  unusually  low  Nile 
we  were  detained  several  houis  on  sand-bars,  but  there  was 
somethinj;'  so  enclianting-  about  the  trip  that  nobody  became 
ini})atient  over  the  delay.  The  jireen  meadows,  cane-tields, 
palm-jiroves,  the  ^old-tinted  fields  of  wheat  and  barley,  lined 
on  either  side  by  the  barren  hills  of  the  desert,  form  a  picture 
of  winch  tlie  eye  never  tires.  Alon^'  the  banks  (if  the  river 
are  several  large  sugar  numufactories  of  nuxlern  design, 
built  in  recent  years  by  English  capitalists. 

The  cane  of  upper  Egypt  is  of  exceptionally  fine  quality. 
The  excursion  from  the  island  nf  Phihi'  to  the  eatavnet  in 
dahahiyehs  was  most  exciting,  arriving  at  sundown.  Here 
we  were  permitted  for  the  small  sum  of  a  franc  to  witness 
the  celebrated  feat  of  the  natives  "shooting"  the  cataract. 
The  sight  of  their  viplifted  arms  as  though  a])i)ealing  for 
hel]!  as  they  go  over  the  falls,  chills  the  liludd  uf  the  beholder. 
TTere  twelve  thousand  men  were  emi)]nyed  in  the  construc- 
tion of  a  dam  to  form  a  reservoii'  fur  the  purpose  of  irriga- 
tion durinti'  the  (h'v  season.  It  i,->,  indeed,  one  of  the  gigantic 
enterprises  of  the  century.  In  harmony  with  llie  spirit  of 
the  age,  it  is  expansion  in  the  truest  sense,  proposing  to 
rescue  from  the  Lybian  and  Arabian  deserts  twenty-five  hun- 
dred square  miles  of  counti-y.  It  is  estimated  that  it  will 
permanently  benefit  Ei;yi)t  a  hnndi'ed  million  dollars,  and 
will  lii'ing  a  direct  nnnnal  return  to  her  revenues  of  two 
million  dolhii's.  It  is  claimed  liy  some  that  this  in-ojeet  was 
]ilnnned  twenty-six  hundred  years  ago  by  ,losei)h  when  he 
was  ])rime  minisier  ot'  I'lgypl,  and  that  a  dam  was  then  built 
which  fertilized  the  iiro\-ince  ol'  l-'ayum.  It  was  also  sug- 
gested by  .Vapoleon  during  his  concpiering  nuirch  through 
Egyjit.  The  foundation  block  of  granite  was  laid  with 
imi)osing  cei-emonies  February  li',  IS!)!),  by  Queen  Victoria's 
third  son,  the  Duke  of  Connau.^iil .  The  natural  advantages 
at    .\ssuan   are  (piite   iierfect.      The   dam    is   to  be  sev(Mity-six 


Nir.E  Excursion  43 

:feet  high  and  a  mile  and  a  quarter  long.  It  is  estimated 
that  a  thousand  million  tons  of  water  can  be  stored  in  the 
reservoir.  The  work  is  to  be  completed  July  1,  1903,  at  a 
cost  of  twenty-five  million  dollars.  Assuan  is  a  border 
town  with  four  thousand  people,  the  trading  point  for  the 
Soudan,  and  central  Africa.  A  short  way  above  is  the 
beautiful  island  of  Philte,  the  turning-point  of  tourists  on 
the  Nile,  "crowned  with  its  temples,  colonnades,  and  palms, 
and  set  in  frame-work  of  majestic  rocks  and  purple  moun- 
tains.'' 

It  is  a  sad  reflection  that  the  beauty  of  Philte  will  largely 
be  hid  from  the  world  by  the  reservoir  after  1903.  "The  Isis 
temple,  with  its  impressive  interior  coloring,  the  Diocletian 
portal,  one  of  the  legendary  graves  of  Osiris,  the  well- 
preserved  pavilion  called  'Pharaoh's  Bed,'  will  all  be  there 
like  jewels  wrenched  from  glorious  settings."  It  was  here 
that  the  Romans  signed,  in  the  year  451  A.  D.,  the  articles 
of  peace  with  the  Bedouins,  who  were  the  last  worshipers  of 
Isis  in  this  temple  still  towering  proudly  toward  the  temple 
of  the  true  God  above. 

Oh,  Pliilae!    In  whose  arms  these  wonders  piled, 
Have  lield  us  spellbound,  and  our  dreams  beguiled. 
Could  they  but  sppak— thy  temples— halls  of  kings. 
What  history  they  could  tell — what  wondrous  things  ! 

On  the  following  day  the  return  journey  to  Cairo  was 
begun,  ai'riving  on  Tuesday  night,  the  13th.  We  shall  always 
have  the  most  happy  recollections  of  the  excursion  on  the 
tranquil  old  Nile,  upon  which  Moses  was  found  in  the  basket 
of  bulrushes,  and  Cleopatra  floated  in  her  gilded  barge;  of 
the  proverbial  beauty  and  fertility  of  the  valley,  with  its 
pyramids,  temples,  and  tombs ;  of  its  emblazoned  sunsets, 
and  the  charming  beauty  of  its  silvery  moonlight  upon  the 
mountains. 


CHAPTER   V. 

From   Cairo  to  Jaffa. 

Of  the  five  exceed iiifily  interesting-  days  spent  in  the  noisy 
city  of  Cairo,  none  will  have  a  more  prominent  place  in 
memory  than  the  one  on  which  we  visited  the  Pyramids. 
A  finer  outfit  of  carriages  would  rarely  be  seen  in  an  American 
city  than  those  which  carried  us  across  the  picturesque 
valley  that  early  morning.  The  horses  of  Cairo  are  excep- 
tionally pretty.  The  excellent  driveway  was  constructed  in 
1868  for  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  his  party.  It  is  lined  with 
beautiful  trees,  and  faces  the  (Ireat  Pyramid  from  the  river, 
a  distance  of  about  eight  miles.  Something  unutterably 
impressive  steals  over  one's  mind  as  he  approaches  this 
mountain  of  stone  which  seems  to  pierce  the  very  heavens. 
How  great  must  have  been  the  ingenuity,  how  supreme  the 
perseverance,  and  how  vast  the  toil  of  its  builders !  Here 
the  idea  and  custom  of  tomb-building  are  radically  different 
from  that  which  we  have  seen  in  upper  Egy]it.  The  Theban 
kings  cut  their  tombs  under  the  ground,  while  the  ^^em- 
phitic  kings  built  their  tombs  above  the  ground. 

Cheops,  the  great  pyramid,  was  originally  seven  luindred 
and  sixty-five  feet  square  at  the  base  (covering  nearly  thir- 
teen acres),  and  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high.  Put 
the  wear  of  the  centuries  has  reduced  it  to  a  base  line  of 
seven  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet,  (covering  nearly  eleven 
acres),  and  four  hundred  and  sixty  feet  high.  It  was  once 
covered  with  a  coating  of  cement  of  emerald  appearance; 
but  that  has  been  removed,  leaving  terraced  steps  of  from 
two  to  four  feet,  by  which  tlie  tiresome  and  difficult  ascent 
is  made  to  the  top,  \vhicli  is  thirty  feet  scinnre.  IJv  the 
assistanee  of  two  stron^-iirnied  Ai'nlis  tlie  writer  counts  him- 
self fortunate  to  have  lieeii  one  of  the  few  of  the  pai'ty  who 
reached    the   snniiiiil.      To   stand    upon    tlie  in\i  of   lluit    won- 

44 


45 


46  The  lUOO  Pilgrimage 

derful   mount   of  ancient   fiivatness   and   pi)wcr  is   an   event 
of  one's  life. 

A  panorama  that  is  simply  indescribable  and  certainly 
without  a  parallel  in  the  world,  spreads  out  on  every  side. 
On  the  west  is  the  dreary  desert,  picture  of  deatli,  witli  its 
sands  piling  against  the  great  pyramid,  which  seems  to 
set  the  bounds,  and  say,  "Hitherto  shalt  thou  come  and  no 
farther."  On  the  east  is  the  green  valley,  teeming  v;ith  life, 
stretching  to  the  north  and  to  the  south  in  striking  contrast 
with  the  yellow  border  on  either  side.  Farther  to  the  east 
is  the  wide  "life-giving  river,''  on  the  east  bank  of  which 
is  the  great  city,  with  its  hundi'cds  of  towers,  domes,  and 
minarets,  and  with  the  Mokottum  Hills  as  a  background. 
Beyond  these  the  angel  of  death  has  spread  his  wings  over 
a  vast  solitude  known  as  the  Arabian  desert.  The  sight  of 
ancient  Heliopolis  has  a  subtle  charm.  It  tells  the  story  of 
the  coming  of  Josejjh  with  the  Ishmaelites  long  ago;  then 
of  his  ten  brothers,  and  finally  of  the  silver-haired  patriarch. 
Here  in  the  evening  time  of  life  when  the  angels  of  (Jod 
bade  him  make'  ready  for  his  departure,  Jacob  remembered 
and  speaks  beautifully  of  three  mountain-peak  events  in  his 
life, — the  hour  when  God  met  him  in  the  way;  the  h(Uir 
when  he  met  Rachel  and  knew  her  worth;  tlic  hour  wlicu  lie 
digged  her  grave  and  buried  her  near  Bethlehem;  then  i)ro- 
nouncing  a  benediction  up(in  his  sons,  he  was  gathered  unto 
his  people.  In  full  view  is  the  island  of  Roda,  the  birth- 
place and  childhood  home  of  IMoses,  and  luil  far  away  is  the 
land  of  Goshen,  frdiii  wliich  he  led  oppressed  Israel  toward 
the  i)r()mised  land.  '^ 

"Qo<i  moves  in  a  mysterious  wny. 
His  wonders  to  perform." 

Tlu;  links  in  the  chain  of  providence  may  be  forty  or  even 
eighty  miles  long,  but  llicy  are  nevertheless  connected.  The 
site  of  ancient  Memphis  is  in  full  view.  Three  miles  further 
down  the  river.  Napoleon  a  hundred  years  ago  with  his  army 
«lrawii   u])   ill   battle  array,  on   the   iiioniiiig  of  tlic   Pattle  o1 


Fro.ai  Cairo  to  Jaffa 


47 


the  Pyramids  pointed  toward  the  place  upon  which  we  stand 
and  said  to  his  soldiers,  "From  yonder  summit  forty  centuries 
look  down  upon  us."  If  these  stones  could  speak  they  would 
doubtless  say,  "Before  Abraham  was,  I  am."  They  belong 
to  the  earliest  ages  of  the  human  race,  and  a  marvelous  civil- 


I'llINX    AND   PVKAMin 


ization  must  have  existed  even  then  to  have  attained  to 
such  achievements  in  architecture.  The  walls  are  so  accur- 
ate that  astronomical  calculations  have  been  based  on  their 
angles  and  shadows.  After  witnessing  the  changes  wrought 
by  perhaps  sixty  centuries,  these  giants  of  unknown  time 
still  stand  in  majesty  looking  out  upon  the  valley,  "as  if  to 
mock  the  men,  and  things,  and  littleness  of  to-day." 

The  entrance  to  the  interior  of  the  great  pyramid    s  on  the 


48  The  19U0  Pilgri.macje 

north  side,  forty  I'eet  from  the  ground.  A  small,  dreary  in- 
cline of  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet  leads  to  a  cluster  of 
rooms  differing  in  dimensions,  known  as  tlic  "King's  Cham- 
bei%"  "Queen's  Chamber,"  "Antechamber,"  and  "Mortuary 
Chamber,"  Inside  the  "King's  Chamber"  lies  the  empty, 
eoverless,  broken  red  granite  sarcophagus  of  Cheops. 

"While  descending  we  halted  occasionally  to  watch  the 
gesticulations  and  combats  of  the  multitudes  of  Arabs  below. 
The  clamor  for  halsheesh   was  deafening. 

Not  far  from  the  great  i)yr;niiid  the  ugly  lu-ad  of  the 
Sphinx  rises  above  the  sands  of  the  desert.  The  sun  was 
burning  hot  when  we  were  carried  by  camels  and  donkeys 
into  the  presence  of  this  mysterious  Egyptian  god  with 
huuiaii  head  and  lion  paws,  which  is  supposed  to  surpass  even 
the  pyramids  in  antiquity.  It  is  conceded  to  be  the  largest 
graven  image  ever  cut  by  the  bauds  of  man.  The  body  is 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  the  paws  fifty  feet 
long,  the  head  thirty  feet  long,  the  face  is  fourteen  feet  wide, 
and  from  the  top  of  the  head  to  the  bttse  of  the  monument 
the  distance  is  about  seventy  feet.  Recent  excavations  have 
astonished  the  world  at  its  enormity.  Between  its  paws  is  an 
altar  to  which  you  ascend  by  a  long  flight  of  steps.  The  Araks 
call  it  "the  fatherly  terror."  While  looking  into  the  face  of 
the  great  image  one  can  appreciate  the  definition  "Egypt 
deified."  In  the  temple  almost  under  the  shadow  of  the 
S)>liiiix  an  excellent  luncheon  was  served  which  was  thor- 
oughly enjoyed  by  all  after  the  rigorous  exercise  of  tlie 
iiioi'iiiiig. 

( )ii  our  I'elui'u  v.'e  N'isiled  again  the  iiiuseuin.  Some  of 
oiir  pai't.N'  wei'e  liuored  in  hnxiiig  Professor  CrofF  to  aeeom- 
l)any  them  throimb  the  building,  ^^'e  next  visited  the  (\iptie 
church  ill  "old  Cairo."  Here  they  iioint  out  the  i)laef  wliere 
]\rary  and  .Joseph  with  the  IToly  Child  were  i)rotected  for  a 
time  during  their  stay  in  Egypt.  This  cluirch  possesses  the 
next  to  the  oldest  manuscriiit   in   the  world. 

The  following  morning  we  were  interested  with  the  sights 
of   the   old    Moslem    Universitv,   with    ten    tliousand    students 


From  Cairo  to  Jaffa 


49 


and  more  than  three  hundred  teachers,  or  masters,  gathered 
from  all  Mohammedan  countries.  It  was  founded  in  the 
year  975,  being  the  oldest  university  in  the  world.  The 
building  is  in  the  shape  of  a  court  of  oriental  design  and 
is  without  covering.     Nowhere  is  there  a  desk  or  a  chair, — 


Hassan  and  Issa  who  assisted  the  Author  in  C'limb- 
INO  THE  Pyramids. 


all  sit  on  the  cold  lioor.  In  the  preparation  of  their  lessons 
they  read  and  spell  aloud,  and  the  teachers  walk  around 
among  them,  each  carrying  a  whip.  The  presence  of  stran- 
gers is  scarcely  noticed.  The  ages  of  the  pupils  range  from 
ten  to  sixty  years.  It  is  said  that  the  teachers  discourage 
progressive  thought  regarding  it  as  a  dangerous  tendency. 
4 


50  TlIK    VMO    PlUiRI.MACE 

Cairo  is  divided  into  ([uarters — the  European  (luarter,  Jew- 
ish quarter,  Coptie  (luarter,  and  water-carriers'  quarter. 
Perhaps  no  cry  in  tlie  city  is  more  striking  than  tliat  of 
the  water-carrier;  "Tlic  gift  of  God!"  he  cries,  as  he  goes 
along  with  his  water-skin  on  his  shoulder.  It  is  very  likely 
that  water,  so  invaluable  and  so  often  scarce  in  hot  countries, 
was  in  Christ's  days  spoken  of  as  now,  as  "the  gift  of  God," 
to  denote  its  preciousness ;  if  so,  the  expression  of  Jesus  to 
the  woman  at  the  well  would  be  the  more  forceful.  The  narrow 
streets  are  lined  with  bazars;  upon  these  there  has  been  no 
European  intrusion;  they  are  as  Oriental  to-day  as  when 
Lane  wrote  his  "Modern  Egyptians."  What  views  of  street 
life! — priests  in  robes,  peddlers  with  trays  on  their  heads, 
citizens  with  turbaned  heads,  beggars  without  number,  desert 
Bedouins,  dervishes,  soldiers,  boatmen,  laborers,  camel  trains, 
bearing  all  manner  of  building  material ;  donkeys  loaded 
with  chickens,  geese,  and  ducks,  all  jostled  together.  What 
an  uproar  this  endless  kaleidoscopic  panorama  of  street  life 
in  Cairo  produces!  Yonder  in  the  distance  is  a  great  com- 
motion. "What's  the  trouble?"  some  one  inquires.  People, 
camels,  and  donkeys  are  jostled  together  in  opening  the  way 
for  two  running  footmen  with  bare  brown  legs  and  flashy 
uniforms,  swinging  their  clubs  of  authority,  commanding 
the  populace  to  make  way  for  the  carriage  of  their  master. 
The  next  scene  is  that  (if  a  funeral  procession.  The  dead 
body  is  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  men,  followed  by  profes- 
sional mourners,  shrieking,  howling,  and  rending  their  gar- 
ments for  the  bereaved  family.  The  letter-writer  sits  by  his 
little  table  always  readv  for  a  few  piasters  to  write  anything, 
in  any  language  for  illiterate  applicants.  Cusfdui  in  Egypt 
is  unalterable  no  matter  how  ridiculous.  Tin'  small  boy 
may  yet  be  seen  accompanying  the  cows,  carrying  under  his 
arm  a  stuffed  calf  to  make  them  submit  willin-jly  to  the  niilk- 
iim-  iiroccs-^.  A  doiikcy  ride  to  "old  Cairn,"  tn  .TdscMli'-  well.  In 
the  hideous  performance  of  the  dervishes,  and  In  the  tnmlis  of 
the  Mamelukes,  was  of  varied  interest.  While  the  donkey 
is  now  bcin'r  banished   fi-oni  Cairo  by  the  trolley  ear.  he  has 


From  Cairo  to  Jaffa  51 

been  in  all  the  past  an  important  factor  in  Egypt.  These 
little  animals  may  appear  to  be  faithful,  and  kindly  disposed, 
but  at  the  same  time  they  possess  a  nature  which  sometimes, 
very  unexpectedly  asserts  the  opposite.  Some  one  has  very 
well  said  that  "while  the  donkey  is  a  fine  specimen  of  total 
depravity,  he  is  none  the  more  so  than  his  master."  I  was 
not  able  to  learn  the  Arabian  word  for  "balks,''  but  the  last 
and  sure  remedy  for  the  disease  I  shall  not  soon  forget.  In 
one  instance  a  donkey  suddenly  stopped  and  refused  to  go> 
another  step.  The  command  yeller,  and  ordinary  remedies 
were  ineffective.  Presently  his  master  gathered  a  bundle  of 
dry  thorns,  placing  them  under  him,  and  striking  fire  with 
a  flint,  they  were  soon  ablaze  and  "Columbus"  was  off  "with 
a  rush."  When  the  muleteer  was  censured  for  his  cruelty, 
he  declared  that  nothing  would  cure  the  disease  but  fire. 
The  only  sure  remedy  for  balky  people  in  the  church  is  fire — 
though  of  a  different  kind. 

It  was  our  pleasure  to  spend  an  evening  at  the  United 
Presbyterian  mission-school,  which  is  doing  a  noble  work. 
This  church  has  a  theological  school  at  Suit,  and  seventy 
mission  stations  in  the  valley.  The  harvests  already  gath- 
ered presage  the  time  when  the  Egyptians  "shall  cry  unto  the 
Lord  because  of  the  oppressors,  and  he  shall  send  them  a 
saviour,  and  a  great  one,  and  he  shall  deliver  them.  And 
the  Lord  shall  be  known  to  Egypt,  and  the  Egj^itians  shall 
know  the  Lord  in  that  day"  (Isa.  19:  20,  21). 

Our  itinerary  in  the  land  of  the  Pharaohs  might  have 
been  extended  with  much  interest  and  profit,  but  it  has  been 
a  great  privilege,  indeed,  to  spend  sixteen  days  in  the  country 
"watered  by  the  noblest  river,  and  consecrated  by  the  imper- 
ishable memorials  of  a  history  of  five  thousand  years,"  which 
Herodotus  said  "contains  more  wonders  than  any  other 
country,  because  there  is  no  other  country  where  we  may 
see  so  nrany  works  which  are  admirable  and  beyond  all 
expression." 

Wednesday  morning,  March  1-1,  we  boarded  the  tTjiii]  in 
Cairo  to  begin  the  journey  to  the  Holy  Land.     In  a  little 


52 


The  1900  Pilgrimage 


time  the  city  faded  out  of  sight,  and  we  were  speeding  rapidly 
toward  Ismailia,  arriving  at  3 :  30  p.m.  This  is  the  principal 
town  of  Suez  because  of  its  central  location  on  the  famous 
canal.  Its  modern  homes  and  beautiful  gardens  give  it  a 
veiy  attractive  appearance.  Here  we  changed  to  a  narrow- 
gauge  railroad  for  Port  Said.     The  tifty-milc  ride  along  the 


MK.MItK.KS   OK    THE    Tl  lAJ  ]{ I  M  Al  J  K    (■i;()SSlN(;    TIIK    1  >  I'.S  Is  KT. 

canal,  this  most  important  artery  of  marine  travel,  was  ex- 
ceedingly interesting.  Many  of  our  party  were  excited  over 
the  ducks  that  could  be  counted  by  thousands  on  the  lakes. 
The  mirage  of  the  desert  on  the  eastern  sky  aud  the  glory  of 
the  sunset  behind  the  waters  were  worthy  of  the  artist's 
brush,  ^teaching  Port  Said  at  night,  we  were  transferred 
to  the  steamer  Euterpa.  which  k'ft  at  once  for  Jaffa.     The 


From  Cairo  to  Jaffa  53 

writer  rose  early  the  following  morning  in  order  to  catch 
the  first  glimpse  of  the  sacred  shores.  Soon  the  old  town  of 
Jaffa  was  sighted  in  the  hazy  distance.  The  scene  was 
accompanied  by  an  inexpressible  thrill  of  joy.  it  was  the 
beginning  of  the  realization  of  the  hopes  of  many  years. 

In  a  little  time  our  boat  was  riding  at  anchor  a  mile  off 
the  coast  of  the  ancient  town,  part  of  which  seemed  to  be 
washed  by  the  spray  of  the  waters.  It  was  in  this  port  that 
Hiram  delivered  the  cedar  and  pine  for  the  building  of  the 
temple  in  Jerusalem.  For  centuries  this  has  been  the  seaport 
of  the  Holy  City.  It  was  the  landing-place  of  the  crusaders 
when  they  went  forth  to  rescue  the  Holy  Sepulchre  from  the 
infidels,  and  for  a  thousand  years  it  has  been  the  place  where, 
pilgrims  from  every  land  have  first  set  foot  on  the  sacred  soil.. 
The  landing  is  sometimes  exceedingly  difficult  and  dangerous, 
but  we  were  favored  with  an  unusually  calm  sea.  We  were 
transferred  to  small  boats,  and  by  the  strong  arms  of  Cook's- 
boatmen  plying  the  oars  were  soon  permitted  to  set  our  feet 
on  the  land  sacred  above  any  other.  The  streets  being  too 
narrow  for  a  vehicle,  we  were  obliged  to  walk  some  dis- 
tance to  the  gate  where  carriages  were  in  waiting.  After 
a  delightful  drive  to  historic  places,  through  gardens  and 
orange  groves  laden  with  the  finest  quality  of  fruit  in  the- 
world,  we  returned  to  Hotel  de  Park  for  luncheon.  It  was  the 
fragrance  of  these  orchards  and  flowers  that  contributed  to> 
Solomon's  style  when  he  spoke  of  the  glory  of  the  church. 


CHAPTEK  VI. 

From  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem. 

The  first  vision  of  the  Holy  Land  will  be  cherished  as  one 
of  the  greatest  events  and  happiest  memories  of  life.  The 
experience  of  walking  upon  its  sacred  shores  produces  a 
strangely  subduing  sensation.  These  mountains  and  plains 
have  the  power  to  hold  and  charm  the  heai't,  not  because  they 
are  more  beautiful  and  fertile  than  those  of  other  lands, 
but  because  they  were  once  traversed  by  the  feet  of  God's 
iincient  worthies,  and 

"  O'er  whose  acres  walked  those  blessed  feet, 
Which  niueteen  hundred  years  ago  were  nailed 
For  our  advantage  on  the  bitter  tree." 

"The  land  held  the  Old  Testament  saints  in  fascination 
"because  it  anchored  in  it  the  promise  of  Christ  to  come.  The 
land  holds  the  New  Testament  saints  in  fascination  because 
it  anchors  in  it  the  evidence  that  Christ  has  come." 

The  city  of  Jaffa  (Joppa)  claims  to  have  a  population  of 
about  thirty  thousand.  It  is  a  very  ancient  city.  Pliny 
declared  it  to  have  been  standing  before  the  deluge,  and 
there  is  at  present  a  popular  tradition  that  it  is  the  city  in 
which  Noah  lived  and  built  his  ark.  From  the  sea  it  appears 
beautiful,  having  much  of  the  appearance  of  a  pyramid  by 
the  seaside.  P>ut  on  entering  the  city  you  find  its  streets 
narrow  and  filthy,  and  the  general  appearance  quite  unin- 
viting. Indeed,  the  visitor  is  impressed  that  it  is  just  the 
opposite  of  what  its  name  suggests — the  heauiiful.  But  the 
country  round  about  presents  a  scene  of  luxuriant  beauty, 
with  its  three  hundred  orange  groves  containing  from  two 
to  twelve  acres  each.  They  are  enclosed  by  stone  fences  and 
massive  cactus  liedgcs  presenting  a  pretty  contrast  to  the 
golden  fruit  witliin.  Some  one  remarked  that  "the  coloring 
of  tlio  oranges  was  so  exquisite  that  it  seemed  that  the  glow 
^nd  warmth  of  the  sun  were  imprisoned  within  them.'' 

Among  fho  places  of  liistoric  interest  pointed  out  to  us  was 


Fro.m  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem  55 

lirst  the  traditional  home  of  Dorcas,  who  made  jiarments 
and  gave  them  to  the  poor.  When  she  died  Peter  was  sent 
for  and  when  he  entered  the  room  where  her  body  lay  "all 
the  widows  stood  by  her  weeping,  and  showing  the  coats  and 
garments  which  Dorcas  made  while  she  was  with  them." 
After  prayer  Peter  bade  her  arise  and  her  life  returned. 
(Acts  9 :  41-43.)  From  this  noble  woman  our  Dorcas  soci- 
eties are  named.  While  we  may  have  looked  upon  but  little 
of  the  material  of  the  old  building,  nevertheless,  the  very 
ground  seemed  sacred,  as  the  events  of  long  ago  came  crowd- 
ing into  mind. 

We  w^ere  next  driven  through  the  muddy,  crooked  streets 
to  the  house  of  "Simon  the  tanner."  The  surroundings  har- 
monize so  completely  with  the  account  given  in  the  tenth 
chapter  of  Acts  that  there  can  be  but  little  doubt  as  to  the 
identity  of  the  place.  We  climbed  the  staircase  of  stone, 
worn  by  the  press  of  the  foot  of  many  a  pilgrim,  which  leads 
from  the  old  well  in  the  yard  to  the  roof  of  the  house,  flat 
now,  as  of  old.  Here  we  believed  that  we  were  looking 
upon  the  same  view  as  that  which  met  the  eyes  of  Peter, 
for  the  old  ocean  has  not  changed  since  he  received  the 
vision  which  taught  to  him  and  to  the  world  the  universality 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ  and  the  great  brotherhood  of  man. 

The  rocks  at  our  feet  against  which  the  incoming  waves 
were  dashing  in  fury  are  connected  with  the  legend  of  the 
beautiful  Andromeda.  To  one  of  these  rocks  she  was  chained 
to  be  devoured  by  the  terrible  Medusa,  when  Perseus  rescued 
her  for  his  bride  from  the  monster  and  turned  him  into 
stone. 

We  were  then  conducted  to  Miss  Arnot's  school  for  girls. 
It  was  a  real  pleasure  to  meet  this  noble  Christian  woman, 
and  hear  her  speak  of  the  thirty-seven  years  of  her  work  in 
this  far-off  land.  The  building  is  well-located,  and  is  of 
modern  design.  There  are  at  present  about  forty  students  in 
the  school,  ranging  in  ages  from  ten  to  fifteen  years.  One 
needs  but  glance  at  the  degraded  condition  of  woman  in 
Mohammedan  lands  to  appreciate  the  importance  and  value 
of  the  work  in  which  "Miss  Amott  is  engaged. 


56 


The  1900  Pilgrimage 


The  trip  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem  was  exceedingly  inter- 
esting.    Being  the  great  thoroughfare  to  the  sacred  city  in 
_ 


TOWKR   OF    l{AMI,F.H. 

all  the  ages,  it  is  crowded  with  historic-,  sacred,  and  profane 
associations.  The  only  railroad  in  Palestine  connects  these 
two  cities,  a  distance  of  forty-one  miles.  The  excellency  of 
the  plain  of  Sharon  so  profusely  covered  with  grass  and 
flowers  was  admired  by  all.  While  every  touch  of  beauty  is 
a  thought  of  God  for  us,  the  rose  of  Sharon  and  the  lily- 
of-the-valley  are  especially  honored  by  our  Lord  in  their 
illustrative  use  in  his  Word.  In  the  greatest  sermon  that 
was  ever  preached  there  was  only  one  flower,  and  that  the 
iily.  It  was  a  great  joy  that  afternoon  to  hold  in  my  hand 
the  same  kind  of  flowers  of  which  it  was  said  that  ''Solomon 


From  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem  5T 

in  all  his  glory,  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these."  It  may 
be  that  God  made  the  flowers  to  teach  his  people  the  con- 
stancy of  his  care.  It  is  said  that  Martin  Luther  always  had 
a  flower  on  his  desk  for  inspiration.  The  presence  of  the- 
flowers  in  the  home  brings  fragrance  and  cheer,  but  the 
sweetest  fragrance  and  deepest  joy  are  brought  to  our  homes 
and  to  our  hearts  by  the  One  of  whom  the  rose  and  the  lily 
speak.  Prominent  among  the  towns  of  the  plain  which 
figured  in  early  history  are  Lydda  and  Eamleh,  from  which 
we  had  a  lovely  view  across  wheat  fields  and  flower-tinted 
pasture-lands  that  stretch  away  to  the  purple  hills  of  Judea. 

The  best  part  of  the  plain  has  been  purchased  and  settled 
by  Jewish  colonists,  who  have  planted  orchards,  and  erected 
beautiful  villages  presenting  a  very  modern  appearance.  The 
pasture-grounds  of  this  plain  have  been  famous  from  early 
history.     (I.  Chr.  27:29.) 

The  rugged  hills  of  Judea  as  a  background  appeared  very 
lovely  in  contrast  with  the  plain  and  the  low  valley  of  the- 
Nile.  Near  the  center  of  the  plain  stands  the  lonely  square- 
tower  of  Ramleh,  an  exquisite  specimen  of  Saracenic  art. 
Some  say  that  it  is  a  minaret  of  the  Mameluke  period,  others 
hold  that  it  marks  the  place  of  an  old  Christian  church  in  the 
days  of  the  apostles  where  forty  martyrs  were  buried. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  March  16,  with  exultant  emotions, 
we  caught  a  glimpse  of  towers  in  the  distance,  reminding 
us  that  we  were  nearing  the  Holy  City,  the  sight  of  which 
would  be  the  realization  of  many  a  day-dream.  Roman 
legions  with  eagles  high  above  them;  and  crusaders  from 
every  part  of  Europe;  and  multitudes  of  pilgrims  in  the- 
ages  past  have  stood  in  the  same  place  eager  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  sacred  city.  Soon  it  broke  upon  us  in  a 
glory  we  had  never  dreamed  of,  the  golden  amber  of  the 
setting  sun  upon  the  western  sky,  and  the  pale  moon  rising 
over  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the  reflection  of  wliich  produced 
a  covering  of  exquisite  beauty  which  rested  like  a  benedic- 
tion upon  the  city  and  surrounding  hills.  The  vision  was 
indeed  suggestive  of  the   apocalyptic   New   Jerusalem;   and 


58  .       The  1900  Pilgri.maoe 

as  the  day  passed  into  twiliyht  we  passed  thruugli  tlic  gate 
into  the  city.  The  (iccnsion  will  forever  be  consecrated  to 
memory. 

The  following;  niDriiiiiu  our  (h'agoman  conchicted  us  east 
on  David  Street  to  Christian  Street,  then  north  through  the 
bazaars  to  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  which  is  held 
in  common  by  the  Greek,  Roman,  Armenian,  and  Coptic 
Christians.  Since  the  sixth  century  the  location  of  the 
church  claims  to  mark  the  place  of  the  crucifixion.  By 
climbing  eighteen  steps  just  outside  the  Greek  church  we 
reached  the  reputed  place  of  Calvary.  The  location  seems 
absurd  and  altogether  out  of  harmony  with  the  accounts 
given  ill  the  gospels.  Within  the  great  building  are  numer- 
ous costly  chapels,  marking  the  sacred  places.  Here  is  the 
Stone  of  T'nction,  where  the  body  of  our  Lord  was  laid  for 
anointing;  a  ])ilgrim  is  measuring  it  that  he  miglit  make 
his  own  winding  sheet  the  same  size,  then  px'cssing  the  kiss 
of  affection  and  gratitude.  Near  by  is  the  place  where  Mary 
the  mother  of  Jesus  stood  while  his  body  was  being  anointed. 
This  is  the  property  of  the  Armenians.  We  then  enter  the 
rotunda.  The  dome  is  sixty  feet  in  diameter,  and  beauti- 
fully decorated  with  mosaics.  Directly  under  the  dome  is  the 
IToly  Sepulchre.  You  first  pass  into  a  small  chapel  under- 
neath the  altar,  and  through  a  low,  narrow  passage  into  tbe 
burial  chamber  itself.  This  marble-cased  chamber  is  lighted 
by  forty-three  lamps  always  burning.  Tn  the  chapel  of  tlie 
Syrians  tlic\'  jiDint  oul  tlic  ])lace  of  tlie  tomb  of  Josi'iili  of 
Arimalhea,  and  the  place  where  Jesus  stood  when  he  said, 
"Woman,  why  weepest  thou."  Ascending  three  steps,  we 
enter  the  church  of  the  Tatins.  On  the  left  is  a  lieautiful 
painting  of  "The  Last  Supper";  on  the  right  an  altar,  and  on 
it  a  stick  called  the  Rod  of  ]\roses.  V>y  i)utting  one  end  of 
the  stick  iiild  a  hole  over  the  altar,  a  stone  is  touched  called 
the  Column  of  Scourging,  to  which  Christ  was  bound  by 
order  of  Pihite.  Tn  tlie  Circcl^  diniicl  we  were  shown  tlie 
sldiie  on  wliicli  tlic\'  s;i\-  (Hir  l.oi'd  s;it  wliilc  the  soldioi-s 
platted    a    cruwii    of    thin-us.      Here,    snid    i>\w    (h'aLinnian,    is 


From  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem 


59 


-where  they  nailed  him  to  the  cross,  and  there  is  the  rock 
where  the  cross  stood  and  the  hole  in  which  it  rested.  In 
the  Chapel  of  Saint  Helena  they  say  the  three  crosses  were 
found.  Not  knowing  which  was  the  true  cross  they  carried 
one  into  the  presence  of  a  sick  woman.  It  proved  to  be  the 
cross  of  the  thief,  and  she  became  a  maniac.  They  carried 
another  which  proved  to  be  the  cross  of  the  second  thief,  and 


Via  Dolorosa. 


she  was  thrown  into  spasms;  but  they  tell  you  in  all  serious- 
ness that  when  they  brought  in  the  third  cross  she  was  im- 
mediately restored,  and  so  they  believe  that  they  have  the 
cross  upon  which  the  Saviour  died. 

They  speak  of  the  miracle  of  the  Holy  Fire  on  Easter  Eve 
in  the  Greek  chapel.  When  the  patriarch  enters  the  sepul- 
chre, fire  descends  from  heaven  and  lights  the  candles  upon 
the  altar.  The  patriarch,  who  is  alone  in  the  sepulchre, 
passes  out  the  fire  through  a  hole  in  the  wall.     The  pilgrims, 


60  The  I'JOO  PiUiRiMAUE 

ill  wild  excitement,  rush  with  tapers  and  candles  to  have  them! 
kindled  from  the  sacred  flame,  and  these  are  passed  on  from 
one  to  the  other  until  the  whole  church  is  illuminated.  They 
say  that  those  who  ai-e  so  fortunate  as  to  obtain  but  a  spark 
of  this  holy  fire  will  have  all  their  sins  removed  and  con- 
sumed forever. 

These  cold  stones  and  marlile  slabs  are  worn  by  the  kisses 
of  millions  of  adoring  pilgrims.  It  being  the  season  of  Lent, 
the  altars  were  richly  decorated  and  crowded  with  worshipers. 
Instead  of  the  sacredness  that  should  accompany  the  place, 
the  effort  to  accentuate  and  make  display  diverts  the  thought 
from  that  which  alone  gives  reason  for  its  existence.  Lady 
Burton,  a  Romanist,  voiced  a  general  sentiment  when  she 
said,  "Would  that  St.  Helena  had  contented  herself  with 
building  walls  around  the  sacred  spots  and  left  them  to 
nature.  They  would  thus  have  better  satisfied  the  love  and 
devotion  of  Christendom,  than  the  little  ornamented  chapels 
which  one  shuts  one's  eyes  not  to  see,  trying  to  realize  what 
had  once  been." 

From  the  summit  of  the  Greek  Church  we  were  favored 
with  an. excellent  view  of  the  city.  One  is  at  once  impressed 
that  the  description  given  by  David  is  exceedingly  appro- 
priate at  present.  "Jerusalem  is  builded  as  a  citv  that  is 
compact  together."  It  has  an  area  of  two  hundred  and 
nine  acres  with  a  population  of  about  fifty  thousand.  The 
present  walls  were  built  by  Sultan  Suleiman  in  1542.  They 
are  thirty-five  feet  high  with  thirty-four  towers  and  eight 
gates,  six  of  which  are  open  and  two  closed.  The  streets  of 
the  city,  if  streets  they  can  be  called,  with  but  few  exceptions, 
are  not  named  or  numbered.  They  are  crooked,  narrow, 
never  clean,  roughly  paved,  and  in  many  instances  are  vaulted 
over  by  the  buildings  on  each  side  of  tlicm.  The  city  is 
unique,  we  are  told,  in  having  no  bar-rooms,  no  lieer-gardens, 
no  theaters  or  places  of  amusement  of  any  kind,  no  wealthy 
or    up])er   class,    no   mayor    or   alderman. 

Saturday  afternoon  we  were  delighted  with  the  privilege 
of  visiting  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the  iilac*'  above  all   others 


From  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem  61 

in  Palestine  I  had  longed,  even  from  childhood,  to  see. 
Passing  the  tomb  of  the  kings,  then  Solomon's  quarries, 
which  were  connected  by  a  tunnel  with  the  temple  at  the 
time  of  its  building,  so  that  the  sound  of  the  hammer  was 
not  heard,  then  crossing  the  deep  valley  of  the  Kidron  oppo- 
site the  "Golden"  or  "Beautiful"  gate,  we  reached  the  garden 
wall  of  Gethsemane.  Here  three  ways  meet,  each  leading 
across  the  sacred  hill.  It  is  very  evident  that  the  location 
of  these  roads  has  not  changed  since  the  time  of  Christ,  and 
as  we  climbed  the  hill  we  could  but  feel  that  his  dear  feet 
must  have  trodden  the  same  path,  and  that  we  were  looking 
upon  scenes  once  familiar  to  him.  Every  object  seemed  to 
have  a  special  message  for  the  heart.  The  view  is  one  of 
surpassing  interest  in  its  historical  and  scriptural  associa- 
tions. I  cannot  put  its  beauty  and  impressiveness  into 
words.  T^ooking  over  upon  the  city  to  the  west  the  Forty- 
eighth  Psalm  was  read  with  a  new  meaning.  It  would  seem 
very  natural  that  David  was  upon  Olivet  when  he  wrote, 
"Beautiful  for  situation,  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth  is  Mount 
Zion,  on  the  sides  of  the  north,  the  city  of  the  great  King." 
It  is  difficult  to  imagine  the  magnificence  of  this  view  in 
the   days   of   the   country's   glory. 

There  are  mountains  from  which  wider  views  may  be 
•obtained,  but  certainly  there  are  none  from  which  can  be 
seen  more  places  sacred  in  the  annals  of  the  Jewish  and 
Christian   world. 

Nestling  on  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  hill  is  the  little  town 
of  Bethany,  where  the  Saviour  performed  his  last  miracle, 
and  spent  his  last  Sabbath  on  earth.  To  the  north  are  the 
terraced  hills  of  Benjamin,  many  of  whose  tops  are  still 
crowned  with  villages  of  old.  Twenty  miles  southeast,  in  a 
valley  almost  four  thousand  feet  below  us,  we  look  upon  the 
blue  waters  of  the  Dea  Sea,  which  seemed  to  be  not  half  S6 
far  away.  North  of  it  is  the  Jordan  valley,  ribbon-like  in 
appearance,  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  glittering  wilder- 
ness, and  on  the  east  by  the  rugged  cloud-like  mountains  of 
Moab  and  Gilead.     To  the  west   at  our  feet  lies  the  city, 


62 


The  1900  Pilorimage 


white  and  hoautiful,  for  its  iian-dw,  dirty  streets  are  hidden 
from  view.  Its  buildings  seem  regular,  its  walls  picturesque, 
no  sounds  are  heard  to  break  its  solemn  stillness.  There 
cannot  be  a  more  impressive  view  in  all  the  world.  There 
was  a  desire  to  be  alone  with  the  tender  memories  suggested 
by  ihosQ  scenes, — alone  with  one's  own  thoughts,  and  alone 
'with  (lod.  TTpon  this  mountain  Christ  gathered  his  disciples 
about  him.  and  pointing  with  his  pierced  hand  to  the  north 


h^^0:& 


«=5?? 


Mount  of  Olives  and  (iAunKN  in-  (iKriisK:\i.\NE;. 

and  to  the  south,  to  the  east  and  to  the  west,  said,  "Go  ye  into 
ail  tile  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,  and  lo 
1  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 
Then,  ])ronouncing  his  last  tender  benediction  from  this 
nioniitain,  lie  ascended  to  heaven  to  ni!e  in  majesty  at  the 
right   hand  of  the  throne  for  his  peojile. 

.\ear  this  jilace  the  angel  messengers  a])i)ear(>d  to  the  wit- 
nesses of  his  ascension  and  cheered  them  with  the  ])roniise 
that,  "This  same  Jesus  which  is  taken  iVoiii  you  up  into 
Heaven  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him 
go  into  heaven."     It   is  believed  hy  many  that   near  this  place 


From  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem  63 

the  Lord  will  descend  in  the  glory  of  his  heavenly  king- 
dom. The  writer  felt  that  evening  abundantly  rewarded  for 
every  sacrifice  made  for  the  pilgrimage,  and  all  the  hardships 
of  the  long  journey  across  the  seas. 

On  our  return  we  tarried  for  a  time  in  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane.  Eyes  grew  dim  and  hearts  tender  with  the 
thought  of  the  night  of  agony  when  he  prayed,  "Father, 
if  it  be  possible  let  the  cup  pass  from  me :  nevertheless  not 
my  will  but  thine  be  done."  Within  the  garden  stand  eight 
venerable  olive-trees,  which  it  is  possible  may  have  witnessed 
his  agony.  I  was  glad  to  secure  from  the  old  gardener  a 
little  branch  of  leaves  to  send  to  friends  far  away. 

'Can  I  Gethsemane  forget, 
Or  there  thy  conflict  see, 
Thine  agony  and  bloody  sweat 
And  not  remember  thee?" 

From  the  garden  we  descended  into  the  valley  of  Kidron, 
then  turning  southward  over  a  rough  road  passing  the  tombs 
of  Absalom,  James,  and  Zechariah,  we  reach  the  pool  of 
Siloam.  The  sun  was  lost  behind  the  Judean  hills,  and  we 
were  traveling  in  the  shadows.  The  valley  is  covered  with 
gardens  known  as  the  King's  Gardens. 

"  By  cool  Siloam's  shady  rill 
How  fair  the  lilies  grow." 

Then  returning  through  the  Hinnom  Valley  we  reached 
again  the  Jaffa  gate,  the  place  from  which  we  started. 

The  following  morning,  while  the  sweet  chimes  of  the 
Sabbath  bells  were  ringing,  the  writer,  in  company  with 
two  friends  again  climbed  the  hill  which  seemed  like  the 
holy  of  holies  to  all  other  places.  It  was  the  Master's 
secret  place  of  prayer,  and  it  was  here  that  he  taught  the 
disciples  how  to  pray.  A  French  lady  of  title  has  built 
here  a  pretty  little  chapel  called  "the  Chapel  of  Our  Father." 
On  its  walls  is  inscribed  "The  Lord's  Prayer"  in  thirty-two 
languages. 

It  was  a  day  of  sweet  fellowship  with  each  other  and  with 
Jesus  Christ,  for  we  felt  tliat  we  had  walked  almost  in  touch 
with  him. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Round  About  Jerusalem. 

While  Jerusalem  is  familiarly  known  as  a  mountain  city, 
one  does  not  realize  until  he  makes  the  gradual  ascent,  that 
it  is  about  twenty-six  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  and  nearly  four  thousand  feet  above  the 
surface  of  the  Dead  Sea.  The  climate  is  very  much  like  that 
of  the  month  of  June  in  Ohio,  and  is  considered  very  desir- 
able.    The  nights,  however,  we  found  uncomfortablv  cool. 

Our  first  important  outing  was  a  carriage-drive  to  Hebron, 
located  twenty  miles  south  of  Jerusalem.  The  day  was 
almost  perfect,  and  every  mile  of  the  way  was  rich  in  biblical 
lore.  A  short  distance  from  the  Jaffa  gate  we  passed  an 
attractive  German  colony  occupjung  a  ]nirt  of  the  plain  of 
Rephaim,  a  noted  battle-field  in  the  history  of  the  sixteen 
sieges  and  captures  of  Jerusalem.  Here  the  Philistines  were 
camped  when  David  heard  the  "Sound  of  a  going"  in  the 
mulberry  trees  which  was  the  signal  of  altack,  and  the  pean 
of  triumph  over  the  enemy.  To  our  l(>ft  was  "The  Hill  of 
Evil  Counsel,"  upon  which  our  dragoman  "spotted"  the  place 
whcr(>  Judas  hanged  himself.  On  the  road  a  little  further 
to  our  right  was  pointed  out  a  well  wdiei-e  ti'adition  says 
that  when  the  wise  men  journeyed  to  seek  Jesus,  they  lost 
the  star  and  could  not  see  it,  but  when  they  turned  their 
eyes  down  that  they  might  draw  water  from  tlic  well,  they 
beheld  the  reflection  of  the  star  in  the  water  and  went  on 
their  way  rejoicing.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  road  we 
were  shown  the  depression  in  the  rocks  where  we  were  told 
Elijali  was  in  hiding  from  the  wicked  Jezebel.  About  an 
hour's  drive  from  the  city  gale  is  the  tomb  of  Rachel,  located 
on  the  roadside  near  Bethlehem.  The  ])lace  seemed  lonely 
and  neglected.  But  it  suggested  the  extrendy  pathetic 
account  of  her  death.     In  his  old  age  Jacob  repeats  with  ten- 

(U 


Round  About  Jerusalem 


65 


der  memory  the  storj^  of  his  loss,  and  it  would  seem  proper 
that  the  little  woman  for  whom  he  worked  seven  long  5'ears, 
which  "seemed  but  a  few  days  for  the  love  he  bore  her," 
should  have  had  a  burial  place  in  Machpelah. 

Further  on  we  halted  at  the  Pools  of  Solomon.  These  are 
referred  to  in  Ecclesiastes  2 :  6.  Some  one  has  very  well 
said  that  "the  Holy  Land  is  like  a  stringed  instrument,  every 


I'OUI^  OF  SOIjOMON. 

touch  upon  which  brings  forth  some  sweet  or  musical  sound, 
for  it  vibrates  at  every  turn  with  some  suggestion  or  beau- 
tiful passage  of  the  divine  Word."  The  thought  was  thrill- 
ing that  along  this  road  Abraham  must  have  passed  on  his 
journey  of  faith  to  sacrifice  his  son  on  Mt.  Moriah. 

Hebron  lies  in  the  valley  of  Eshcol,  from  which  it  is  sup- 
posed the  spies  carried  the  wonderful  clusters  of  grapes  back 
to  the  camp  of  Israel.  The  population  is  probably  twelve 
thousand.     It  is  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  the  world,  and 


66  The  190U  Pilgrimage 

coutains  the  oldest  known  burial  place  in  tlie  world,  the 
purchase  of  which  by  Abraham  is  conceded  to  be  the  first 
legal  contract  on  record.  '(tJen.  23:3-20.)  Here  the  three 
patriarchs  and  their  wives  (except  Rachel)  were  buried.  A 
large  mosque  has  been  erected  over  these  sacred  tombs,  and 
the  place  is  rigidly  guarded  by  Mohanunedan  soldiers.  The 
natives  showed  their  hatred  of  Christians  by  following  us 
in  mobs,  and  cursing  us  every  step  of  the  way.  Xorman 
McLeod  has  beautifully  said  concerning  the  cave  of  Mach- 
pelah,  "This  is  the  only  spot  on  earth  which  attracts  to  it 
all  who  possess  the  one  creed,  'I  believe  in  God.'  The  Holy 
Sepulchre  in  Jerusalem  separates  Moslem,  Jew,  and  Chris- 
tian; here  they  assemble  together.  The  Moslem  guards  this 
place  as  dear  and  holy.  The  Jew  from  every  land  draws 
near  to  it  with  reverence  and  love,  and  his  kisses  have  left 
an  imprint  on  its  stones.  Christians  visit  the  spot  with  a 
reverence  equally  affectionate.  And  who  lies  here?  A  great 
king  or  conqueror?  A  man  famous  for  his  genius  or  his 
learning?  No;  but  an  old  shepherd  who  pitched  his  tent 
four  thousand  years  ago  among  these  hills,  a  stranger  and 
a  pilgrim  in  the  land,  and  who  was  known  only  as  EI  Khahil 
—The  Friend." 

It  was  interesting  to  go  on  horseback  from  Hebron  to 
the  "oak  of  Mamre"  two  miles  west  of  the  city.  Tlie  vener- 
able tree,  in  the  presence  of  which  the  writer  felt  like  taking 
off  his  hat,  is  said  to  have  been  standing  in  the  days  of  Christ, 
and  marks  the  dwelling-place  of  Abraham  at  the  time  of 
the  marvelous  event  recorded  in  Gen  18.  The  tree  is  thirty- 
three  feet  in  circumference  at  the  base  and  lias  four  huge 
bvanchos.  Whether  the  location  is  genuiiu^  or  iidt  we  knew 
thnl  we  were  riding  over  the  fields  where  Abrn'uini  omcc  l\cld 
sweet  connnunion  with  God.  "Returning  to  Jerusalem  late 
in  the  evening,  we  felt  that  the  day  had  been  one  of  real 
interest  and  profit. 

The  following  morning  we  left  for  a  tln-(H>  davs'  ji.urney 
on  horseback  to  Jericho  and  the  T)oi\d  Sea.  The  way  from 
Jerusalem  to  Jericho  lies  through  the  wildenu^ss  o+'  Judea, 


Round  About  Jerusalem 


67 


which  to-day,  as  of  old,  is  a  rendezvous  for  robbers.  We 
were  accompanied  by  a  band  of  armed  men  for  protection 
on  the  way.  After  about  four  hours'  ride  we  reached  the 
"Inn  of  the  Good  Samaritan,"  where  the  noon  meal  was 
served  and  greatly  enjoyed  by  all.  Late  in  the  afternoon, 
when  the  heat  was  almost  unbeai-able,  it  was  refreshing  to 


(  »AK   OF    MaMRE. 

hear  the  rippling  waters  of  the  brook  Cherith,  and  to  look 
out  upon  the  Jordan  valley  before  us.  The  deep  and  rugged 
gorge  throiigh  which  the  brook  flows  compares  favorably 
with  many  of  the  celebrated  canyons  of  Colorado.  Hanging 
against  one  of  the  cliffs  is  "Elijah's  Monastery,"  (occupied 
by  Greek  monks,)  which  claims  to  mark  the  place  where  the 
prophet  was  fed  by  the  ravens. 


68 


The  190U  Pilgrimage 


This  barren  wilderness,  with  its  silence  and  solitnde,  and 
with  its  wonderful  sky,  is  an  auditorium  in  which  God  could 
secure  the  attention  of  a  man,  and  speak  to  him  effectively. 
Here  Elijah  was  prepared  for  his  important  work  and  re- 
ceived his  message.  Here  John  the  Baptist,  one  of  the  great- 
est preachers  of  the  ages,  received  his  training.  The  great 
leaders  of  to-day  are  not  the  children  of  affluence,  hut  have 
come  up  out  of  obscurity  and  have  been  the  architects  of 
tlicir  own  fortunes.     The  great  leaders  of  vestcrdav  were  all 


\  M  \  i;  I  I  \  N 


educated  through  solitude,  there  they  found  iheiiiselves  and 
their  strongest  faculties  and  lieciune  men  <d'  oak  and  rock. 
Adversity,  it  is  said,  bends  low  over  each  kneeling  Paul,  or 
Luther,  and  whispers,  "Rise  up.  Sir  Knight." 

Our  first  night  in  the  tents  was  near  Jericho,  perhaps 
not  fni-  from  the  first  encampment  of  the  Isracdites  after 
crossing  the  Jordan.  The  night  was  made  memorable  by 
the  howls  of  jackals  that  seemed  to  gather  in  companies  near 
the  tents.  Early  the  following  morning  we  I'ode  ten  miles 
south  to  the  Dead  Sea.  Because  of  the  clear  atmosphere 
distances  in  this  country  are  very  deceptive.  This  sea  is  the 
lowest  depression  on  the  face  of  the  earth.     Its  shores  are 


Hound  About  Jerusalem  69 

barren,  and  a  bath  in  its  briny  waters  is  obtained  with  diffi- 
culty. To  the  east  are  the  mountains  of  Moab,  enveloped  in 
a  mellowing  haze,  prominent  among  which  is  the  summit, 
where,  after  a  long  and  glorious  life,  the  servant  of  God  was 
honored  with  the  privilege  of  viewing  the  promised  land, 
and  as  the  earthly  Canaan  faded  from  sight,  a  brighter 
vision  opened  of  "fairer  lands  on  high"   (Deut.  34:  1-8). 

"By  Nebo's  loaely  mountaio, 
East  of  tlie  J.irdan's  wave, 
In  a  vale  in  the  land  of  Moab, 
There  lies  a  lonely  grave. 
And  no  man  knows  that  sepulchre. 
And  no  man  saw  it  e'er, 
For  the  angels  of  God  upturned  the  sod 
And  laid  the  dead  man  there." 

We  lunched  at  noon  on  the  banks  of  the  Jordan  near  the 
traditional  place  where  Christ  was  baptized.  This  is  indeed 
a  wonderful  stream  with  a  remarkable  history.  It  has  no 
commercial  interest,  nor  physical  value,  no  mill-wheel  has 
ever  been  turned  by  its  power.  But  it  is  "the  silver  cord 
upon  which  God  strung  as  golden  beads  the  thrilling  events 
of  sacred  history."  Here  at  this  ancient  ford,  under  the 
command  of  Joshua,  the  priests  stood  one  morning  with  the 
ark  on  their  shoulders,  and  suddenly  the  waters  divided  and 
Israel  crossed  over.  But  these  waters  were  especially  made 
sacred  by  the  baptism  of  our  Lord,  which  inaugurated  his 
public  ministry.  Descending  the  banks  through  the  mud,  it 
was  a  joy  to  bathe  my  hands  and  face  in  the  sacred  water, 
and  then  fill  a  little  can  to  carry  home  with  me.  By  way  of 
variety  we  were  favored  that  day  with  a  succession  of  drench- 
ing rain  storms.  The  return  to  Jericho  by  way  of  Gilgal  was 
over  the  same  ground  where  Elijah  and  Elisha  walked  to- 
gether on  the  morning  when  the  hero  of  Carmel  was  carried  to 
heaven  in  a  chariot. 

Ancient  Jericho,  famous  in  the  conquest  of  Joshua,  and 
honored  by  the  presence  of  the  Saviour,  who  gave  sight  to  the 
blind  on  its  streets,  and  brought  salvation  to  the  home  of 
Zaceheus,  is  now  marked  only  by  a  few  desolate  ruins.     The 


70 


The  1900  Piloki.mage 


beautiful  .yrovcs  and  gardens  for  which  it  was  so  long  cele- 
brated are  no  more.  A  few  palms,  thorn  bushes,  and  syca- 
more trees  surround  the  ruins,  over  which  still  lingers  the 
malediction,  "(Airsed  be  the  man  before  the  Lord,  that  riseth 
up  and  buildeth  this  city  Jericho:  he  shall  lay  the  foun- 
dation thereof  in  his  first-born,  and  in  his  youngest  son  shall 
be  set  up  the  gates  of  it"  (Josh.  6:20).  The  "Mount  of 
Temptation"  stands  near  the  ruins  of  the  city  on  the  west, 
lifting  its  bai'ren  head  nine  hundred  feet  above  the  valley; 
at   its   base   is   the  beautiful   "Fountain    of   Elisha." 


Tlie  t'dlldwiu.n'  (lay  we  retui'ued  to  -lerusaleiu.  over  the  same 
route  perhaps  which  the  Saviour  took  in  his  hist  journey  to 
the  city.  It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  stop  for  a  time  at 
Ijcthany.  The  town  is  quite  uninviting,  but  the  very  ground 
seemed  sacred  because  of  its  associations  with  the  life  of  tlie 
Savioui'.  Here  he  had  his  nmst  iiiliiuate  friends — Mary, 
Martlia,  ami  Lazarus.  Here  he  wept  tears  of  friendship, 
and  performed  his  last  miracle.  From  this  place  he  made 
his  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem.  This  step  meant  Cal- 
vary. It  was  the  beginning  of  a  week  which  showed  divinity 
at   its  best  and  luiinanitv  at   its  worst. 


Round  About  Jerusalem  71 

On  the  summit  of  Olivet  that  day  there  occurred  one  of  the 
most  tragic  moments  of  Christ's  eventful  life.  Here  he 
beheld  the  city  spread  out  in  all  its  splendor  before  him. 
Even  in  the  midst  of  the  "Hosanna"  acclaim  the  thoughts 
which  the  sight  suggested  could  not  be  controlled.  The 
tears  rushed  to  those  eyes  of  love,  and  from  his  lips  there 
came  the  sentence  prophetic  of  the  awful  doom  impending 
over  the  temple  and  palaces  of  the  city  he  so  loved  (Luke 
19:42-45).  Less  than  forty  years  after  its  utterance  that 
prediction  was  fulfilled.  The  city  that  was  then  mirrored 
in  his  eyes  now  sleeps  in  silence  forty  feet  under  the  earth. 
Only  Christ  in  art  will  remain,  but  man  in  art  will  perish. 
The  towers  of  human  greatness  will  crumble,  but  amid  the 
wreck  of  matter  and  crash  of  worlds  the  artist  who  has  mixed 
the  most  truth  in  his  paint  and  wrought  in  stone  with  the 
design  of  God  in  his  brain  has  given  to  the  world  the  most 
enduring  works  of  art. 

After  arriving  at  our  hotel  a  deep  shadow  was  thrown 
over  the  company  that  evening  by  the  death  of  Captain 
Wilson,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  whom  we  had  all  learned  to  love 
and  honor.  This  was  the  only  death  in  our  ranks  during 
the  pilgrimage. 

Our  last  excursion  before  leaving  the  city  was  a  delightful 
hour's  ride  to  Bethlehem.  The  country  presented  many  in- 
teresting scenes  of  oriental  life :  The  husbandman  plowing 
in  the  field,  sometimes  with  a  cow  and  a  donkey  yoked  to- 
gether. The  plaintive  songs  of  shepherds  and  herdsmen 
greeted  the  ear  from  hill  and  plain.  Upon  these  same  hills 
David  watched  his  father's  sheep.  Here  the  shepherd  boy, 
"aided  only  by  his  harp  and  sweet  voice,  became  the  court 
minstrel,  the  champion  of  the  army,  the  companion  of  the 
king,  the  idol  of  the  people,  and  then,  with  one  bound, 
leaped  into  the  throne  itself."  The  sight  of  these  fields 
brought  back  the  joy  of  childhood's  memories.  For  the 
first  time  since  leaving  America  the  writer  felt  that  home 
was  not  far  away.  In  thought  and  spirit  he  was  in  father's 
house  across  the  seas,  and  then  in  the  Sunday-school  he  loved 


72  The  1900  Pilgrimage 

so  much,  where  once  a  year  the  glad  sonirs  of  the  Babe  of 
Bethlehem  were  sung  so  sweetly.  As  we  stood  together  in 
the  "Grotto  of  the  Nativity,"  in  front  of  the  silver  star  which 
marks  the  place  of  his  birth,  after  reading  from  tlic  sei-ond 
chapter  of  Luke,  we  made  the  gallery  ring  with 

"Joy  to  the  world,  tbe  Lord  is  come, 
Let  earth  receive  her  Kiog, 
Let  every  heart  prepare  him  room 
And  heaven  and  nature  sing." 

The  thought  was  overwhelming  that  all  Christianity  was 
once  in  this  manger,  and  from  this  place  an  influence  for 
good  has  gone  forth  upon  the  human  race  that  cannot  be 
measured,  and  will  continue  until  the  last  desert  will  grow 
roses.  All  this  started  here  in  the  humble  manger  within 
sound  of  bleating  sheep,  and  bellowing  cattle,  and  amid 
rough  bantering  of  herdsmen  and  camel  drivers.  What  a 
low  place  to  start  for  such  great  heights!  No  wonder  that 
Paul  Veronese,  and  Rubens,  and  Tintoretto,  and  Correggio, 
and  Raphael  put  their  best  pencils  in  this  scene.  Near 
the  "GJrotto  of  the  Nativity"  is  the  chamber  where  Jerome 
desiring  to  be  near  the  Lord's  birthplace  studied  for  thirty 
years,  translating  the  Scriptures  into  the  Latin  Vulgate, 
and  then  from  this  same  study  cut  in  the  rock  twenty  feet 
square,  went  to  his  reward.  We  were  conducted  to  an  ele- 
vation overlooking  the  fertile  fields  on  the  east  where  Ruth 
gleaned,  and  where  the  first  Gloria  in  ExceLsis  was  heard. 

No  one  can  look  upon  the  terraced  hills  of 'Bethlehem 
with  its  surroundings  of  fertile  fields,  vineyards,  orchards, 
and  flowers  without  feeling  that  nature  honored  our  Lord 
by  providing  a  place  of  charming  beauty  for  his  nativity. 
But  we  must  make  our  way  hack  to  Jenisalem  and  walk 
about  Zidii,  tlic  liiuhcst  elevation  witliin  the  wall^.  ^\vvo 
stands  tlie  tower  of  David  which  has  resisted  through  all  the 
centuries  the  ravages  of  time.  Grand  old  relic,  the  sliadow 
of  which  has  fallen  upon  proi)hets  and  auostles,  a-id  now  ri'sts 
upon  us.     Near  by  are  the  Protestant  Missions  and  further 


Round  About  Jerusalem  73 

to  the  south  the  Armenian  Convent  inclosing  the  splendid 
church  of  St.  James,  the  first  bishop  of  Jerusalem.  Plere 
are  also  the  traditional  houses  of  Annas  and  Caiaphas  where 
our  Lord  was  condemned  before  the  »Sanhedrim.  They 
show  us  the  prison   in  which  he  was  kept  the  night  before 


Cp:ntkai.  Suu.akk  in  Kkthlehem. 


his  crucifixion.  Our  dragoman  also  pointed  out  the  place 
where  Peter  stood  when  he  denied  the  Lord.  Not  far  away 
is  a  little  mosque  erected  over  the  tomb  of  David.  The  iden- 
tity of  this  burial  place  is  scarcely  questioned.  Mohamme- 
dan soldiers  guard  it  with  superstitious  jealousy.  Near  by, 
indeed  under  the  same  roof,  is  the  traditional  "upper  room," 
sixty  feet  long  and  thirty  feet  wide.  When  the  city  was 
overthrown  by  Titus,  this  was  oue  of  the  few  buildings  that 


74  The  1900  Pilorimage 

survived  the  destructiun.  It  is  <ienerally  eoiieeded  that  this 
was  the  scene  of  the  "Last  Supper,"  and  of  the  ten  days' 
prayer-meeting  followed  hy  the  Pentecost.  We  placed  our 
hands  upon  the  great  stones  upon  which  rested  in  olden  times, 
the  arch,  spanning  the  Tyropeon  valley  and  connecting 
Mount  Zion  and  Mount  Moriah.  Upon  it,  perhaps,  the  Queen 
of  Sheba  stood  surrounded  by  such  magnificence  that  she 
declared  that  the  "half  had  not  been  told."  One  of  the 
most  imposing  buildings  of  the  city  is  the  Mosiiue  of  Omar, 
occupying  the  place  of  Solomon's  temple.  From  the  very 
earliest  times  it  has  been  a  place  of  worship.  Eight  hand- 
some gateways  open  into  the  sacred  court.  The  dome  is 
regarded  as  the  most  graceful  in  the  world.  Under  it  is  the 
mysterious  rock,  rising  four  feet  above  the  marble  lloor  and 
measuring  forty-six  by  forty-two  feet.  If  we  are  to  believe 
the  traditions,  on  this  rock  Melchizedek  offered  sacrifice,  and 
Abraham  was  about  to  offer  Isaac.  They  say  when  Moham- 
med took  his  flight  to  Paradise  he  ascended  from  this  rock 
which  attempted  to  return  with  him  to  his  native  glory,  and 
was  only  restrained  by  the  powerful  hand  of  the  angel  (Jabriel. 
They  point  to  the  footprints  of  the  prophet  and  the  finger- 
prints of  the  angels.  Beneath  the  rock  is  a  cavern  in  which 
there  seems  to  be  conduits  throimh  which  the  ])l()nd  of  the 
sacrifices  in  the  days  of  tlie  fcniple  ran  away  into  the  vnlley 
below.  Into  this  rock  Mohannncd  is  said  to  have  driven  cer- 
tain nails  which  gradually  are  to  work  through  (he  stone  and 
fall  into  the  cavern  below,  and  when  all  these*  have  gone 
through  the  end  of  the  world  will  come.  Of  the  nineteen 
original  nails  driven  only  three  remain  in  tlie  roek.  Wlial  a 
multitude  of  traditions  and  strange  superstitions  are  con- 
nected with  it! 

The  Jews'  wailing  place  beside  the  old  wall  near  the  Par- 
clay  Gate,  wliicli  they  lielieve  to  be  the  nearest  i)laee  without 
the  temple  en<'l()sure  to  the  ancient  Holy  of  Holies,  is  a  little 
paved  area  about  one  hundr(>d  feet  long  and  thirty  feet 
wide.  The  ridiculous  though  i)athetic  scene  suggested  the 
incpiiry,  "Will  (heir  wailing  ever  cease?     Will  their  prayers 


Round  About  Jerusalem  75 

ever  be  answered?"  Twenty  years  ago  there  was  only  a 
handful  of  Jews  in  the  Holy  City.  Now  there  are  over 
forty-eight  thousand.  Prophecy  is  being  fulfilled.  "Ye 
shall  be  gathered  one  by  one,  O  ye  children  of  Israel,  saith 
the  Lord."  "I  will  take  you  one  of  a  city,  and  two  of  a 
family  and  I  will  bring  you  to  Zion."  Surely  there  is  a 
time  coming  when  joy  shall  return  to  the  holy  city.  Starting 
from  the  Gate  of  St.  Stephen  we  enter  the  Via  Dolorsa 
which  is  the  most  sacred  street  in  the  city,  To  our  left  is 
the  church  of  St.  Anne,  known  as  the  home  of  the  mother 
of  Mary  the  Virgin.  A  little  to  the  west  is  the  "Pool  of 
Bethesda."  Descending  a  number  of  steps  we  touch  our 
hands  to  the  water.  On  the  wall  is  a  painting  of  the  angel, 
(recently  uncovered),  with  one  hand  uplifted  in  blessing 
and  the  other  troubling  the  waters.  Returning  to  the  sacred 
way  we  stand  face  to  face  with  the  "Ecce  Homo  Arch,"  and 
Pilate's  Judgment  Hall.  Here  Pilate  brought  Jesus  forth 
wearing  the  crown  of  thorns,  and  the  purple  robe,  and  pre- 
sented him  to  the  multitude  with  the  memorable  words, 
"Behold  the  man !" 

The  place  of  the  Judgment  Hall  is  now  occupied  by  a  con- 
vent and  children's  school  Here  some  of  our  party  purchased 
crowns  of  thorns  said  to  be  the  same  in  kind  as  that  which  was 
rudely  pressed  down  upon  the  brow  of  the  Saviour.  This 
narrow,  crooked  street  that  marks  the  way  from  the 
Judgment  Hall  to  Calvary,  is  divided  into  stations  that  have 
been  wet  with  the  tears  of  long  generations  of  pilgrims  who 
have  sought  to  follow  ihe  footsteps  of  the  Master  as  he  bore 
the  heavy  cross.  They  show  us  the  place  where  he  took  up 
the  cross ;  the  place  where  he  sank  under  the  cross ;  the  house 
of  St.  Veronica  who  wiped  the  Saviour's  brow  and  had  his 
features  left  impressed  upon  her  handkerchief  which  she  gave 
to  his  mother;  and  the  place  where  he  said,  "Weep  not  for 
me  but  for  yourselves  and  for  your  children."  We  walked 
with  tender  hearts  from  one  station  to  the  other  until  we 
reached  the  traditional  Goln-otha.  The  facts,  suggested  by 
these  scenes,  apart  from  locality,  never  before  seemed  so  real 


76 


The  19UU  Pilgrimaqk 


and  inii)i-essive.  Recent  excavations  have  established  the 
belief  that  the  place  of  the  cruciiixion  was  outside  the  present 
city  walls.  To  harmonize  with  the  account  given  by  the  evan- 
gelists, the  location  must  be  an  elevation,  outside  of  the 
walls,  and  in  view  of  a  public  highway,  neither  of  which  are 
met  by  the  place  called  ("nlvary.  Outside  of  the  Damascus 
Gate  is  a  hill  fronting  an  ancient  public  highway  which 
meets  in  every  particular  the  requirements.     Among  the  -Tews 


I   A  l.\'  Ai;-!  . 


it  has  ever  been  known  as  the  place  of  stoning.  It  is  shaped 
like  a  skull.  "In  looking  at  it  to-day  you  could  (luitc  un- 
derstand how  (iiic  would  say,  tlicrc  arc  the  very  plarcs  that 
would  corresponil  to  the  sockets  of  (he  eye-balls  in  the  skull 
of  a  human  being."  There  are  still  the  openings  in  the 
rocks  as  if  "God  said  to  Calvary,  Remain  forever  and  hold 
in  your  solid  rocks  the  Nawiiing  fissures  made  by  the  earth- 
quake wlicii  Jesus  Christ  was  crucified,  and  tell  mankind 
how  licavcn  and  earth  alike  were  stirred  Id  their  (l('i)llis  by 
the  wonderful  tragedy."  The  pick  and  shovel  have  in  recent 
years  revealed  the  foundations  of  the  ancient  citj^  walls,  two 


Round  About  Jerusalem  77 

in  number.  These  are  referred  to  by  Josephus.  The  Church 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  is  within  their  inclosure.  The  genu- 
ineness of  the  location  outside  the  Damascus  Gate,  with  a 
garden  at  its  base,  was  first  affirmed  by  Major  Condor  and 
also  by  Dr.  Merrall,  but  it  bears  the  name  of  "Gordon's 
Calvary"  because  General  Gordon  visited  and  believed  in  it, 
and  an  enterprising  photographer  took  the  picture  of  it 
and  called  it  by  his  name.  In  the  quiet  Sunday  afternoon 
of  March  25,  our  last  day  in  the  city,  we  had  a  delightful 
and  impressive  service  on  this  sacred  hill  where  our  hearts 
said  the  Lord  was  crucified.  It  was  an  occasion  that  will 
forever  live  in  memory,  but  after  all,  Christ  cannot  be  con- 
fined to  any  one  place.  He  belongs  to  the  past,  i^resent,  and 
future,  and  his  atonement  is  world-wide  in  its  extent.  We 
walked  with  tender  hearts  the  Via  Dolorosa;  we  visited  with 
pathetic  interest  the  places  of  the  cross,  resurrection,  ascen- 
sion, and  pentecost;  but  infinitely  more  sacred  than  these 
sacred  spots  is  the  truth  which  they  symbolize.  In  the  bene- 
fits of  Christ's  death  on  the  cross,  his  resurrection  from 
the  grave,  his  ascension  to  heaven,  and  pentecost,  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth  are  sharers. 

When  Jesus  died,  nothing  seemed  so  unlikely  as  that  his 
name  should  ever  be  heard  a  second  time,  and  now  behold 
his  birthday  causes  birthdays  dedicated  to  statesmen  and 
generals,  heroes  and  reformers  to  disappear  and  be  forgotten 
just  as  the  sun  extinguishes  stars  by  the  brightness  of  its 
shining.  The  five  millions  of  Romans  could  desmse  the 
quarter  of  a  million  human  beings  at  Jerusalem ;  but  this 
hill  upon  which  we  are  ]:)ermitted  to  worship  would  some 
day  gather  to  itself  the  aff"ection  of  mankind. 

"In  the  cross  of  Christ  I  glory, 

Towering  o'er  the  wrecks  of  time, 
All  the  light  of  sacred  story 
Gathers  round  its  head  sublime." 

That  song  expresses  the  deepest  joy  and  the  highest  glory  of 
millions  on  earth  and  in  heaven. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

TllRICK    IIuxnUKI)    ^IlLHS   OX    IIoUSKBACK. 

Some  of  us  had  looked  forward  with  more  than  ordinary 
interest  to  that  part  of  our  itinerary  inrluding-  an  eiiihtct'ii 
days'  camping  tour  from  Jerusalem  to  Beirut,  a  distance  of 
more  than  three  hundred  miles,  on  horseback,  through  Pales- 
tine and  Syria.  On  Monday  morning,  March  26,  the  jour- 
ney was  begun  under  circumstances  most  favorable.  Each 
member  of  the  pilgrimage  was  provided  with  an  Arabian 
horse  and  an  English  saddle,  which  he  had  the  privilege  of 
choosing  some  days  before.  The  company  consisted  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty-nine  persons — forty-nine  of  our  party 
(others  having  gone  by  sea  from  Jaffa),  one  conductor,  two 
dragomen  and  three  assistants,  four  cooks  and  twelve  waiters, 
fourteen  horsemen  and  forty-four  muleteers.  The  outfit 
consisted  of  twenty  dwelling  tents,  two  boarding  tents,  two 
luncheon  tents,  and  two  kitchens.  We  had  seventy-nine 
horses,  sixty-one  mules,  and  ten  donkeys. 

The  confusion  and  excitement  of  the  beginning  of  tlie 
journey  was  indeed  a  novel  and  amusing  sight.  An  liour's 
ride  from  the  Damascus  gate  to  the  north,  brought  us  to 
the  summit  of  Mount  Scopus,  where  we  turned  our  horses  for 
the  last  view  of  the  Holy  City.  It  has  been  suggested  that 
every  traveler  should  get  his  first  view  of  the  city  from  the 
Mount  of  Olives  and  the  last  view  from  this  hillto]i.  It  must 
have  been  fiTini  a  scene  like  tliis  that  the  sweet  singer  of 
Israel  drew  the  beautiful  and  exitressive  simile,  "As  the 
mountains  are  round  about  flerusalem  so  the  I.nrd  is  round 
about  his  people  from  hencefortli  even  forever." 

The  scene  is  thrilling  as  a  fulfillment  of  tlie  proi)hecy.  "I 
will  scatter  you  among  the  heathen,  and  your  land  shall  be 
desolate  and  your  cities  waste."  So  it  will  be  with  any 
nation   that  rejects  (!od   and  defies  his   laws.      How  patlietic 


Three  Hundred  Miles  on  Horseback  79 

the  scene !  What  changes  the  centuries  have  wrought ! 
But  some  things  are  unchanged.  The  things  of  nature  are 
the  incorruptible  witnesses  of  the  ancient  events  which  have 
been  the  life  and  instruction  of  manhood,  and  one  feels  like 
crying  out:  Hear,  O  hills;  give  ear,  O  earth  for  the  Lord 
of  Glory  and  Prince  of  Salvation  was  born  here.  Over  these 
hills  he  walked  scattering  flowers  of  holy  thought  and  deed. 
He  looked  upon  the  same  bright  stars  that  we  behold  to-day. 
"The  eighth  Psalm  is  still  on  the  night  sky  of  Palestine."  The 
same  sun  which  was  darkened  above  the  cross  still  floods 
with  brightness  all  these  holy  vales.  These  mountain  sum- 
mits were  once  familiar  to  him  and  are  connected  with  great 
events  in  his  life.  And  now,  with  tear-dimmed  eyes  we  look 
for  the  last  time  upon  Calvary  on  which  the  Saviour  died; 
Olivet  from  which  he  ascended  to  the  Father,  and  Zion  where 
the  Holy  Ghost  was  given.  These  are  the  most  sacred  hills 
in  all  the  world;  toward  them  the  longing  hearts  of  millions 
have  turned  with  devout  affection  through  all  the  Christian 
centuries.  Surely  the  view  is  worth  all  the  toil  and  expense 
of  a  journey  from  the  ends  of  the  earth.  As  we  reluctantly 
turned  away,  and  the  city  faded  from  our  view,  perhaps 
forever,  it  was  a  joy  to  anticipate  that  some  fair  morning 
when  life's  pilgrimage  is  over  we  shall  look  upon  the  incom- 
parable grandeur  of  the  many-mansioned  city  of  which  the 
one  we  had  come  so  far  to  see  was,  even  in  the  days  of  its 
glory,   only   a   faint  type. 

One  of  the  chief  pleasures  of  the  forenoon  was  a  side  trip, 
by  several  of  the  party  to  the  town  of  Ramala.  where  the 
Friends  (Quaker)  Church  of  America  have  a  prosperous 
mission.  Here  we  found  the  only  Christian  Endeavor  Soci- 
ety in  Palestine.  It  is  composed  of  twenty-three  members, 
ninp<-pen  of  which  are  active  and  taking  a  course  in  Bible 
study  following  the  Christian  Endeavor  topics.  It  woiild  be 
difficult  to  find  anywhere  a  society  more  proficient  in  Scrip- 
ture quotations.  A  sweet  little  girl  of  eight  summers 
repeated  Matt.  11 :  28-30  in  English  and  Arabic.  Under  the 
efficient   management   of   Mr.   and   Mrs.   Eowntree   a    noble 


80 


The  1900  Pilgrlmage 


work  is  bi'iiig'  iloiio.  The  iiiissi(»ii  huildinj;-  is  a  neatly 
equipped  two-story  stone  structure  located  in  a  f>arden.  It  is 
indeed  an  oasis  in  a  desert,  presenting-  a  heavenly  picture  in 
comparison  with  the  miserahlc  Mohammedan  villages  round 
about. 

Passing-  Gibeah,  the  seat  of  Saul's  government,  and  Ramah 
of  Benjamin,  and  Beeroth,  where  the  parents  of  Jesus  once 


TllK   SlIKl'HKKIi    ANI>    IMS    l'l.<i(  K. 

(  Pli()t<)j,n-:ii>licil  near  I'.ct  hirhciii.) 

missed  him  and  had  to  go  back  to  Jerusalem  to  find  him,  (It 
is  necessary  for  us  to  do  the  same  thing  if  we  have  gone 
away  from  liini.  lie  is  always  found  al  the  place  where  we 
lost  him),  we  arrived  at  Bethel  for  luncheon.  The  location 
afforded  a  commanding  view.  Conspicuous  as  we  looked 
backward  were  Mizpeh  on  the  west  and  Olive!  on  the  east. 
Bethel  has  been  distinguished  as  a  i)lac('  of  allars,  visions, 
and  vows.  ITere  Abraham  built  an  altai-  unto  the  ^^ord  im- 
mediately  after  he  had   been   given    (lie   land.     Here  Jacob 


Three  Hundred  Miles  on  Horseback  81 

had  the  marvelous  vision  of  the  ladder  extending  from  earth 
to  heaven,  a  type  of  the  cross  which  linked  heaven  and  earth 
together,  and  gave  to  the  humblest  follower  of  Christ  the 
privilege  of  communion  and  fellowship  with  God.  When 
that  gifted  writer  who  composed  the  hymn,  "Nearer  my 
God  to  thee,"  sat  down  to  her  task,  what  an  imperfection 
would  have  marked  her  poem  had  she  not  known  of  Jacob's 
stony  pillow  and  beautiful  dream: 

"Though  like  a  wanderer, 

The  sun  gone  down, 
Darkness  be  over  me. 

My  rest  a  stone ; 
Yet  in  my  dreams  I  'd  be 

Nearer  my  God  to  thee." 

And  the  two  following  stanzas  would  have  been  wanting. 

But  the  history  of  Bethel  is  that  of  blessings  and  curses 
strangely  mingled.  Once  the  house  of  God,  under  Jeroboam 
it  became  the  house  of  idols,  and  was  utterly  destroyed  by 
Josiah.  Its  present  desolation  is  a  striking  comment  on  the 
prophecy  that  "Bethel  shall  come  to  naught." 

We  were  very  fortunate  in  visiting  the  country  at  the  close 
of  the  rainy  season,  when  it  presents  its  best  appearance. 
One  of  the  surprises  to  the  visitor  is  that  there  is  no  timber 
in  Palestine.  There  are  no  roads  between  Jerusalem  and 
Tiberias.  Our  way  at  times  was  over  a  path  that  would  be 
considered  quite  impassable  in  the  mountains  of  West  Vir- 
ginia. Our  camp  was  pitched  for  the  night  on  a  hill  near 
the  village  of  Sinjil,  a  very  jjleasing  location.  Our  tents 
are  elegant  and  comfortable.  It  is  part  of  the  same  outfit 
used  by  the  German  Emperor  and  escort  in  his  tour  of 
Palestine  in  October,  1898.  The  following  morning  we 
passed  the  ruins  of  Shiloh,  which  suggested  many  eventful 
scenes  of  long  ago.  Shiloh  was  a  national  sanctuary.  Here 
Joshua  divided  the  land  among  the  tribes  and  set  up  the 
tabernacle.  To  this  place  Hannah  came  yearly  with  the 
little  coat  for  the  boy  Samuel,  w^hom  God  called  to  greatness. 
From  this  place  the  ark  of  the  covenant  was  taken  by  the 


82 


The  19U0  PiuiRiMAOE 


Philistiiu'S  and  never  returned,  and  from  that  time  the  city 
is  seldom  mentioned. 

At  noon  of  the  same  day  we  reached  Jacob's  well,  which 
one  visit  of  Christ  made  forever  famous.  After  a  ride  of 
four  hours  under  an  oriental  sun,  we  could  thoroughly  enjoy 
a  drink  of  its  refreshing  water.  ]^ow  we  knew  that  we  were 
standin.ii'  in  the  very  place  where  Jesus  once  stood,  and  per- 


Heuod's  Colonnadk,  AI'  Saimaiua. 


haps  about  the  same  hour  of  the  day.  As  we  ])cut  over  the 
old  well  and  watched  the  bucket,  to  which  a  lighted  candle 
was  attached,  descend  seventy  feet,  we  could  appreciate  the 
words  of  the  woman,  "Sir,  the  well  is  deep."  Years  ago, 
Andrew  Bonar  stood  here  and  read  the  account  which  was 
of  such  absorbing  interest,  that  he  unconsciously  let  his 
valued  Bible  fall  into  the  well.  Never  before  did  we  realize 
half  so  much  the  preciousness  of  Christ's  message  to  the  wo- 
man as  when  we  read  it  that  day  in  the  very  place  whore  it 


Three  Hundred  Miles  on  Horseback  83 

was  given.  It  was  here  that  he  first  proclaimea  himself  the 
promised  Messiah  and  ofi^ered  eternal  life  unto  all.  The 
golden  harvest-fields  in  the  rich  valley  before  him,  Ebal  and 
Gerizim  rising  in  majesty  behind  him,  and  the  well  of  spark- 
ling water  at  his  feet,  all  contributed  to  the  beauty  and 
strength  of  his  style  in  proclaiming  life  to  the  world.  Not 
far  away  is  Joseph's  tomb  on  the  land  given  him  by  his 
father.  Joseph  might  have  had  a  royal  burial  and  a  pyramid 
for  his  grave,  but  he  preferred  to  be  buried  at  home,  and 
thus  gave  commandment  before  he  died.  Some  one  has 
said  that  "there  is  no  romance  in  all  the  annals  of  patriotism 
equal  to  the  unburied  body  of  Joseph  waiting  for  centuries, 
and  in  faith  for  a  coming  grave  in  the  land  of  promise." 

We  were  informed  before  leaving  Jerusalem  that  it  would 
be  necessary  for  us  to  have  additional  passports  in  order  to 
get  through  the  interior  districts.  The  sheik  of  each  tribe 
has  been  our  escort  through  his  own  territory,  and  keeping 
guard  over  our  camp  at  night.  There  is  something  i)ro- 
foundly  impressive  in  the  religious  devotion  of  a  Moham- 
medan. When  the  hour  for  prayer  arrives,  unconscious  of 
his  surroundings,  he  addresses  his  supplications  to  Allah 
with  his  face  turned  toward  Mecca. 

Our  way  from  Jacob's  well  led  through  the  vale  of  She- 
chem,  between  Ebal  and  Gerizim.  It  recalled  one  of  the 
most  vivid  pictures  of  the  Bible.  Here  Joshua  assembled 
three  millions  of  people  for  worship,  the  greatest  congregation 
in  all  history.  When  the  blessings  were  uttered  from 
Gerizim  a  million  and  a  half  of  people  responded,  "Aiuen." 
And  when  the  priests  turned  their  faces  toward  Ebal  and 
uttered  the  curses,  a  million  and  a  half  of  people  responded, 
"Amen."  The  apostle  reiterated  the  same  truth  for  which 
these  mighty  pillars  stand  when  he  said,  "Whatsoever  a  man 
soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap."  In  the  same  valley  Joshua 
delivered  his  farewell  address  to  the  assembled  children  of 
Israel.     (Joshua  24.) 

Some  of  our  party  climbed  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain 
and  it  is  literally  true  that  the  human  voice  may  be  distinctly 


84  The  1900  Pilgrimage 

heard  fruin  inuuntain  top  to  mountain  top.  I^ablus  is  a 
very  well  built  city.  We  shall  not  soon  forget  the  perilous 
ride  over  its  smooth  streets.  The  Moslem  population  of  the 
city  is  recognized  as  among  the  most  fanatical  and  supersti- 
tious in  Palestine.  Here  is  still  found  a  company  of  one 
hundred  and  ninety-five  of  the  Samaritans  who  continue  to 
observe  the  Passover  on  these  mountains.  They  refuse  to 
intermarry  and  preserve  very  carefully  their  identity. 

In  their  synagogue  may  yet  be  seen  the  famous  Samaritan 
copy  of  the  Pentateuch  which  is  more  than  thirty-five  hun- 
dred years  old. 

The  country  between  Nablus  (Shechem)  and  Samaria, 
where  we  camped  for  the  night,  Dean  Stanley  calls  "the  most 
beautiful,  perhaps  the  only  beautiful  spot  in  central  Pales- 
tine." It  reminded  us  very  much  of  sections  of  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley.  The  singing  birds,  murmuring  brooks,  and 
fields  of  growing  grain  all  conspired  to  make  it  a  delightful 
evening  ride.  These  running  brooks  that  once  sang  of  him 
"Wlio  sendeth  rain  from  the  heavens,"  still  produce  the  same 
music  and  set  all  their  banks  throbbing  with  a  patient,  pas- 
sionate profusion  of  blossoming. 

After  three  days  in  the  saddle,  some  of  the  party  were  so 
completely  exhausted  that  they  could  not  get  on  or  off  their 
horses  without  assistance.  The  rums  of  Samaria  indicate 
its  former  glory.  The  excavation  of  TIerod's  Palace  at  the 
summit  of  the  dome-shaped  hill  afforded  a  magnificent  view. 
As  we  stood  on  its  ruins  in  the  early  morning  and  watched 
the  hills  and  the  valley  stretching  westward  to  the  sea  glow 
and  ti'enible  in  the  sun's  early  rays,  it  rcciuired  no  severe 
])]:\y  of  imagination  to  picture  th(>  foruKM"  glory  of  our  sur- 
riiiiii(liiigs.  But  the  broken  columns  and  present  desolation 
that  mark  the  place  where  the  once  proud  city  stood  is  a 
most  striking  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy,  "Samaria  shall 
become  desolate,  for  she  hath  rebelled  against  Ciod." 

On  the  following  day  we  lunched  at  Dolhan.  The  very 
name  suggests  the  tender  story,  familiar  in  childhood,  of 
Joseph   coming  from   TTebrou    to   s(>ek   his  brethrcMi    and    all 


Three  Hundred  Miles  on  Horseback 


85 


that  follows.  Here  it  was  that  Elisha,  under  the  most  try- 
ing circumstances,  said  "they  that  be  with  us  are  more  than 
they  that  be  with  them,"  and  his  servant  "saw  and  behold 
the  mountain  was  full  of  horses  and  chariots  of  fire  round 
about  Elisha." 

In  order  to  know  the  Holy  Land  and  appreciate  its  ancient 
customs,  it  is  necessary  to  dwell  for  a  time  in  tents.     The 


1'  HI':    1  *  1  r   A  T   ]  lOT  HAN. 


writer  to  the  Hebrews  puts  into  words  what  we  all  feel  in 
our  thoughtful  moments  that  we  are  "strangers  and  pilgrims 
on  the  earth."  The  tents  of  the  patriarchs  are  long  since  no 
more,  but  they,  in  the  soul  life,  still  are.  After  a  long,  tire- 
some day's  journey  it  was  a  joy  to  reach  our  camp  and  to 
sing  at  eventide  we 

"Nightly  pitch  our  moving  tents 
A  day's  march  nearer  home." 


86  The  1900  PiuiHi.MAOE 

It  will  always  be  a  delight  to  recall  the  evenings  wo  spent 
together  in  the  tents  talking  over  the  experiences  of  the 
day  and  uniting  in  praise  and  prayer.  The  third  night  was 
spent  at  Jeniu,  and  was  made  memorable  by  the  bark  of  a 
multitude  of  dogs  and  jackals  to  interrupt  our  sluzubers. 
The  town  is  sufficiently  elevated  to  give  a  fine  prospect  of  the 
fertile  plain  of  Esdraelon,  stretching  from  the  Jordan  to 
the  sea,  with  an  average  width  of  ten  miles.  One  can 
imagine  what  its  added  beauty  and  picturesqueness  would 
be  if  dotted  wdth  groves,  Pennsylvania  farm-houses,  and 
barns.  Prom  Barak  to  Napoleon  this  plain  has  been  a 
battle-field."  "Warriors  out  of  every  nation  which  is  under 
heaven  have  pitched  their  tents  on  this  plain,  and  have  beheld 
the  various  banners  of  their  nations  wet  with  the  dews  of 
Tabor  and  Ilermon."  Yonder  stand  these  mountains ;  if  they 
could  speak  what  a  story  they  could  tell!  Nearest  to  us  is 
Gilboa,  and  far  to  the  north,  rising  in  majesty  above  all 
others  is  snovp-crowned  Hermon  "standing"  as  some  one  has 
said,  "like  a  priest  with  a  miter  on  his  head  keeping  watch 
over  the  land  that  Jesus  made  holy."  Our  journey  across  the 
plain  was  in  the  direction  of  Jezreel,  which  is  located  on  a 
hill  still  crowned  with  the  ruins  of  Ahab's  Watch-Tower  from 
which  long  ago  the  warder  saw  "a  company"  and  a  fast- 
driven  chariot,  "like  the  driving  of  Jehu  the  son  of  Nimshi, 
for  he  driveth  furiously."  Near  by  is  Naboth's  vineyard  in 
which  is  a  pool  of  water  where  a  company  of  women  were 
washing  clothes.  To  the  east  at  the  base  of  Gilboa  is 
Gideon's  Fountain.  The  stream  was  surprisingly  large  and 
beautifully  clear.  It  was  late  in  the  forenoon  and  the  power 
of  the  Oriental  sun  made  a  little  rest  at  the  fountain  most 
enjoyable.  We  shall  especially  remember  it  by  one  of  the 
ladies'  horses  lying  down  in  the  center  of  the  stream  and 
leaving  her  to  wade  out  through  the  cold  spring  water. 
We  halted  for  lunch  at  Shuneni.  Words  could  not  (l(>s('ril)(> 
the  filth  and  degradation  of  this  Dcdouin  villniic  'rh(>  na- 
tives were  milking  sheep  and  goats,  and  drinking  th(>  milk 
which  seemed  to  be  their  only  source  of  subsistence.     While 


Three  Hundred  Miles  on  Horseback  87 

passing  along  the  filthy  street,  a  hideous-looking  woman 
yelled  at  my  friend  for  baksheesh.  Then  picking  up  a  stone 
she  dealt  him  a  fearful  blow  in  the  back.  The  country  is 
occupied  by  an  army  of  beggars  that  hound  one  every  step 
of  the  way.  But  we  cannot  wonder  when  we  are  told  that 
the  Turkish  government  exacts  a  tax  of  more  than  one-half 
of  all  the  products  of  the  country.  The  village  of  Nain 
where  the  widow's  son  was  brought  back  to  life  and  the 
village  of  Endor  where  Saul's  doom  was  pronounced  are 
neither  better  nor  worse  than  other  villages  round  about. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth  day's  journey  we 
climbed  the  hill  of  Nazareth  and  entered  the  town  where  our 
Lord  spent  more  than  twenty-six  years  of  his  earth  life. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Dwelling  in  Tents. 

It  was  a  real  joy  to  spend  the  day  amid  the  sacred  associ- 
ations of  Christ's  old  home.  Nazareth  is  a  household  word 
wherever  the  gospel  has  been  preached,  not  because  of  any 
special  charm  of  its  own,  but  because  upon  this  hill  and 
under  this  sky  the  Saviour  of  the  world  lived  and  toiled  for 
nearly  thirty  years.  The  traditional  residence  of  Joseph 
and  Mary  is  enclosed  by  the  "Church  of  the  Annunciation." 
Upon  the  marble  altar  in  the  "Chapel  of  the  Angels"  is  the 
impressive  inscription,  "Here  the  Word  was  made  flesh." 
The  chapel  contains  an  excellent  painting  of  the  crucifixion, 
and  other  scenes  illustrative  of  the  childhood  of  Christ. 
Adjoining  is  the  "Chapel  of  Joseph,"  from  which  place  we 
ascended  a  dark  stairway  leading  to  the  "Kitchen  of  the 
Virgin."  It  is  simply  a  cave  cut  in  a  rock.  Our  dragoman 
pointed  to  an  opening  in  the  ceiling  as  being  the  chimney. 
Several  antique  pieces  of  furniture  gave  it  the  appearance 
of  a  kitchen.  While  this  traditional  locfition  may  be  ques- 
tioned, the  fact  remains  that  Nazareth  was  the  home  of 
Jesus  until  he  entered  upon  his  public  ministry. 

A  strange  interest  invests  the  site  of  the  synagogue  where, 
after  his  baptism  and  temptation,  he  was  rejected.  A 
building  overlooking  an  awful  precipice,  about  two  miles 
south  of  the  town,  tells  the  sad  story  of  the  treatment  he  re- 
ceived from  those  whom  he  had  a  right  to  claim  as  his  closest 
friends.  (Luke  4:29-31.)  He  then  moved  his  residence  to 
Capernaum,  and  it  does  not  appear  that  he  ever  again  visited 
the  scene  of  his  boyhood  and  early  manhood.  We  were  very 
happy  to  learn  that  Christ  has  many  followers  in  Nazareth 
to-day.  An  hour  spent  in  the  Miss  Dickson  School  was  a 
great  inspiration.  Never  have  we  found  among  the  children 
of  the  same  age  in  any  Sunday  school  a  better  knowledge 

8S 


Dwelling  in  Tents 


89 


of  the  New  Testament.  As  we  listened  while  seventy  bright- 
faced,  girls,  some  of  them  with  peculiarly  sweet  voices, 
sang: 

"Jesus,  Saviour,  dwell  within  us, 
Make  a  temple  of  each  heart. 
Pure  and  loving,  true  and  holy, 
For  thy  sevice  set  apart," 

we  could  but  believe  that  our  Lord  would  yet  be  welcomed  in 
his  old  home. 


Ruins  of  thk  Cakpentku  Shop  at  Nazakf.tii. 


Later  in  the  afternoon,  we  had  a  delightful  hour  on  the 
mountain  top  west  of  the  town.  The  view,  which  is  usually 
spoken  of  as  the  most  extensive  and  charming  in  Palestine, 
burst  upon  us  in  a  glory  that  we  had  scarcely  dreamed  of. 
To  the  west  is  Mount  Carmel,  lying  immediately,  it  would 
appear,  upon  the  ocean.  On  the  one  side  is  the  Mediter- 
ranean, stretching  in  dazzling  beauty  toward  the  sunset,  and 
on  the  other  side  is  the  beautiful  Bay  of  Akka.  From  the 
little  white  city  of  Haifa,  on  the  bay,  the  Galilean  moun- 


90  The  1900  Piuuiimaoe 

tains  stretch  to  the  north,  inereasing  in  altituilc  until  they 
cuhninate  in  kingly  snow-crowned  Ilermon.  On  the  east  are 
Tahor,  Little  Ilernion,  Gilboa,  and  further  away,  beyond  the 
Jordan,  are  the  dreamy,  ashen-colored  mountains  of  Gilead 
and  Moab.  Lying  to  the  south  are  the  fertile  plains  of 
Jezreel  and  Esdraelon,  beyond  which  are  the  hills  of  Samaria. 
At  our  feet,  in  the  center  of  this  panorama  that  words  can- 
not picture,  in  amphitheater  shape,  is  the  town  of  jSiazareth, 
the  earth-home  of  Jesus.  Surely  the  surroundings  are  as 
much  in  harmony  with  the  sublimity  of  his  life  as  nature 
could  provide.  Kenan,  in  his  "Life  of  Jesus,"  says  that  no 
place  in  the  world  was  so  well  adapted  to  "dreams  of  absolute 
happiness."  Christ's  love  of  nature  is  shown  by  its  frequent 
use  in  his  teaching.  He  doubtless  often  studied  and  admired 
this  picture.  Every  place  the  eye  rests  is  laden  with  the 
memories  of  Joshua,  Deborah,  Gideon,  David,  Jonathan, 
Elijah,  and  others  who  wrought  nobly  in  their  day  and  gener- 
ation. 

The  "Virgin's  Fountain,"  at  the  base  of  the  hill,  has  a 
sacredness  of  its  own,  because  one  feels  that,  above  all  other 
I^laces,  Jesus  must  often  have  been  there.  It  has  always  been 
the  principal  watering-i^lace  of  the  city,  and  at  all  hours  of 
the  d'ay  women  and  children  may  be  seen  coming  to,  and 
going  from  the  fountain  bearing  the  water  in  earthen  jars 
upon  their  heads  to  different  parts  of  the  city.  The  women 
of  Nazareth,  as  well  as  Bethlehem,  are  noted  for  their  su- 
perior beauty. 

A  wedding  ceremony  was  in  progress  in  the  town.  The  old 
customs  arc  strictly  adhered  to.  The  ceremonies  connected 
with  the  reception  given  to  the  bridegroom  extend  over  a 
period  of  ten  days.  The  groom  was  mounted  upon  a  white 
horse,  following  a  company  of  a  hundred  men  who  were 
dancing,  yelling,  and  burning  incense.  He  was  followed  by 
a  mob  of  men,  women,  and  children.  We  are  tuld  that  at 
the  close  of  the  ceremony  the  groom  is  expedcd  \n  ;ro  at 
night  and  steal  his  bride.  The  young  woman,  according  to 
custom,  goes  tlu'ough  the  sham  procedure  of  attemt)ting  to 


Dwelling  in  Tents 


91 


escape.     The  young  men  regard  the  "chasing  of  a  dear"  as 
great  sport. 

On  Saturday,  March  31,  we  completed  the  journey  to  the 
Sea  of  Galilee.  Our  first  stoj)  was  at  Cana  where  our  Lord 
performed   his   first   miracle.     After   luncheon    some   of   us 


Woman  with  thk  ^\'ATKI;  Pdt. 


hastened  to  the  Mount  of  Beatitudes,  which  involved  an  addi- 
tional ride  of  several  miles.  The  mountain  side  was  pro- 
fusely covered  with  a  rich  variety  of  flowers  of  the  most 
delicate  coloring.  May  it  not  be  that  because  the  land  is  so 
old,  and  so  dear,  containing  the  resting  places  of  the  best 
men  and  women  of  history,  of  whom  it  was  said  that  "the 


92 


The  1900  Piuirimace 


world  was  not  worthy,"  that  nature  is  lovingly  covering 
the  land  with  flowers  as  we  delight  to  cover  the  grave  of  a 
friend  with  carefully  selected  boquets  as  a  "token  of  our 
love."  These  angels  of  the  grass  have  had  an  important 
ministry  in  all  the  ages.     Far  back  in   sacred  history  they 


'I'lIK    lIoKSK   THAT  C'AKKIKI)    I  1 1  !•.    Al    llKil:     T  1 1  Ki  ill  I  1 1 

Palestink  ani>  Si  kia. 
(PliotoKniplu'd  oil  the  Mount  of  Kialit  udfs.) 

were  honored  as  an  illustration  of  the  brevity  of  human  life, 
"He  Cometh  forth  as  a  flower  and  is  cut  down."  In  setting 
forth  the  Father's  tender  care  for  his  children,  tJie  great 
Teacher  said,  "Consider  the  lilies."  They  toil  not  and  spin 
not,  yet  are  more  excellently  arrayed  than  Solomon  in  all 
his  glory. 


Dwelling  in  Tents  93 

No  one  can  stand  upon  this  mountain,  where  it  is  believed 
Christ  preached  that  immortal  sermon  to  all  future  genera- 
tions of  men,  without  being  impressed  with  the  natural 
advantages  for  such  an  occasion.  The  two  elevations  of  the 
summit,  known  as  the  "Horns  of  Hattin,"  are  sufficiently 
near  together,  that,  standing  on  the  higher  to  the  east,  the 
speaker  could,  without  great  effort,  reach  the  ear  of  the 
multitudes  assembled  on  the  lower  to  the  west. 

Many  times  during  the  eight  years  in  which  the  writer 
had  the  privilege  of  sitting  at  the  feet  of  Bishop  Weaver, 
while  serving  as  pastor  of  his  home  congregation,  the  Bishop 
said :  "When  you  have  trouble  in  selecting  a  text,  just  turn 
to  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  There  you  will  find  themes 
equal  to  everlasting  demands." 

Here  we  had  our  first  view  of  the  lake  that  Jesus  loved 
so  much,  and  that  is  so  intimately  associated  with  his  earth 
life. 

"I  tread  where  tlie  Twelve  in  tbeir  wayfaring  trod; 
I  stand  where  tbey  stood  with  the  Chosen  of  God, 
Where  his  blessing  was  heard  and  his  lessons  were  taught, 
Where  th^  blind  was  restored  and  the  healin?  was  wrought. 

We  camped  during  the  Sabbath  on  the  shore  of  Galilee. 
Notwithstanding  the  oppressive  heat,  the  day  was  one  of 
mountain-top  privilege.  Here  the  active  ministry  of  our 
Lord  was  begun.  By  this  lake  he  healed  the  sick  and  fed  the 
multitudes  with  the  few  loaves  and  fishes.  Here  he  smote 
the  whirlwinds  into  silence,  and  made  the  waves  of  the  sea 
lie  down;  and  opened  the  doors  of  light  into  the  midnight  of 
those  who  had  been  born  blind;  and  turned  deaf  ears  into 
galleries  of  music;  and  with  one  touch  made  the  scabs  of 
incurable  leprosy  fall  off;  and  renewed  healthy  circulation 
through  severest  paralysis ;  and  made  the  dead  girl  waken 
and  ask  for  her  mother.  Here  he  preached  many  of  his 
greatest  sermons,  and,  indeed,  the  very  air  still  seems  full 
of  the  echo  of  his  words.  Apart  from  these  tender  associ- 
ations, the  lake  has  no  special  attractions.  Of  the  four 
millions  of  people  that  once  inhabited  these  shores,  only  the 


94 


The  ];H)0  PiUiRiMAOE 


little  village  of  Tiberias  remains.  The  services,  both  iiiorn- 
iiig  and  evening,  were  exceedingly  interesting,  and  we  shall 
always  carry  with  us  the  most  pleasant  recollections  of  the 
day  spent  on  the  shores  of  Galilee. 

Monday  morning  we  had  the  pleasure  of  a  boat  ride  to 
the  ruins  of  ancient  Capernaum,  at  which  point  we  mounted 
our  horses  and  continued  the  journey  northward.  The  hills 
of  Gennesaret  would  be  considered  fine  grass-lands.     They 


were  dotted  with  Hocks  of  sheep  and  goals.  In  the  rich  plain 
leading  down  to  the  waters  of  Merom  is  one  of  the  most 
nourishing  Jewish  colonies.  They  have  greatly  beautified  the 
l)lain  by  planting  hedge-fences  and  "orchards. 

The  following  day  we  crossed  the  lower  sources  of  the 
Jordan,  lunching  at  Dan,  and  camping  at  Caesarea  Philippi, 
where  we  found  the  finest  camping-grounds  in  all  the  joui'- 
ney.  The  traveler  would  not  fail  to  speak  of  its  beautiful 
situation,  its  excellent  water,  olive  groves,  and  splendid  view 
of  the  distant  plain.  Here  Peter  said,  "Thou  art  the  Christ," 
wliicli   was   follow('<l    by    tlic   wonderful    iiropliecy   concerning 


Dwelling  iN  Tents  95 

the  church.  We  are  now  standing  upon  the  northern  boun- 
dary of  our  Lord's  ministry.  There  is  no  record  that  he 
ever  went  south  of  Jerusalem  or  north  of  Csesarea  Philippi. 
Probably  upon  one  of  the  slopes  of  Hermon  near  by,  the 
transfiguration  took  place,  and  a  conference  was  called  com- 
posed of  representatives  of  three  dispensations,  and  of  two 
worlds,  the  theme  of  which  was,  "The  decease  whicli  He 
should  accomiolish  at  Jerusalem."  The  following  day,  we 
crossed  the  slopes  of  this  monarch  of  mountains,  reaching  an 
altitude  near  the  snow-line.  Here  we  turned  our  horses 
for  the  last  view  of  the  Holy  Land,  the  tour  of  which  has 
made  the  Bible  a  new  book.  One  cannot  fail  to  be  impressed 
that  the  land  was  made  for  the  events  with  which  it  is  con- 
nected. A  gentleman  who  had  been  very  skeptical,  said  to 
one  of  my  friends,  "I  might  as  well  deny  the  land  as  to  deny 
the  book  that  gives  a  history  of  it  so  accurately." 

Modern  research  has  illustrated  the  universality  of  the 
land  which  has  produced  the  universal  religion  and  the 
universal  Book.  Dr.  Gregg  in  his  excellent  little  book,  speaks 
of  Palestine  as  the  "world  in  a  nutshell."  Here  "the  geologist 
finds  all  the  rock  formations  of  the  earth,  and  all  of  the 
geologic  periods  and  ages.  All  the  zones  are  heve,  and  all  the 
climes  of  earth.  Mount  Hermon  is  ten  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  the  Jordan  basin  is  one  thousand 
three  hundred  feet  below  the  level  of  the  sea;  and  between 
the  tepid  waters  of  the  salt  sea  and  the  perpetual  snows  of 
Mount  Hermon,  which  never  lifts  its  white  cap  from  its 
brow,  you  have  packed  all  zones  and  climates,  from  the  frigid 
belt  to  the  tropical  equator,  and  also  all  the  flora  and  fauna  of 
the  earth.  You  have,  too,  on  its  wonderful  surface  all  the 
life  that  belongs  to  all  zones  ....  Accordingly  the  illus- 
trations drawn  from  nature  with  which  the  Bible  abounds 
are  suited  to  all  climes  and  are  understood  by  all  men.  The 
Hollander  and  the  Hottentot,  the  Englishman  and  the 
Egyptian,  the  American  and  the  African,  the  Italian  and 
the  Icelander  are  all  at  home  amid  its  imagei-y."  The  same 
"author  profoundly  says,  "before  you  can  obliterate  the  ctory 


96 


The  1900  Pilgrimage 


of  Jesus  Christ  from  this  earth  on  which  he  so  sublimely 
lived,  you  will  have  to  grind  out  of  sight  and  forever  erase 
these  sacred  hills  of  Palestine,  where  he  was  tempted,  and 
where  he  preached  his  wonderful  sermon,  and  where  he  was 
transiitiured,  and  where  he  died  and  where  he  ascended." 
Farewell,  land  of  Judea,  Samaria,  and  Galilee;  these  eyes  may 
never   ajj^ain    gaze    upon    thy   mountains,    plains,    and   cities. 


S(ir  rllKRN'    (iATl')   OF   (   .KSA  1!  K  A    I'l  1 1  J,l  I'l'l. 

but  enshrint'd  in  my  heart  of  lu-arts,  my  thdu.uhls  shall  be 
of  thee  until  J  shall  lu'lidld  the  city  with  gates  of  pearl  and 
streets  of  gold. 

"Thou  laud  of  Judoa!  thrico  hallowDd  of  song. 
Whore  the  lioliest  of  uiomories  pilpriui-hke  tliroiiK, 
lu  tlie  shade  oi  thy  palms,  by  tlit«  shores  of  thy  sea, 
Ou  the  lulls  of  thy  beauty,  my  heart  is  with  thee." 

During  the  afternoon  our  glasses  clearly  revealed  the  city 
of  Damascus,  forty  miles  in  the  distance.  It  is  described 
from  this  point  by  some  one  as  "a  diamond  set  in  the  dark 
green  of  fruitful  gardens."  We  camped  in  tlie  valley  near 
the  traditional  grave  of  NinuNid  and  reached  the  city  about 
four  o'clnck  tlie  inllowing  day. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Syria  from  the  S.U)Dle. 

It  was  our  privilege  to  spend  three  days  in  Damascus, 
which  remains  the  true  type  of  an  Oriental  city.  The  place 
is  noted  for  its  great  antiquity,  astonishing  vitality,  and 
superior  beauty.  Its  existence  dates  beyond  the  days  of 
Abraham,  for  his  servant  Eliezer  came  from  there.  A  cher- 
ished tradition  says  that  Damascus  occupies  the  location  of 
the  Garden  of  Eden,  and  that  Adam  was  formed  of  clay 
taken  from  the  banks  of  its  historic  river  Abana.  In  the 
anti-Lebanon  mountains,  overlooking  the  city  from  the  west, 
its  inhabitants  point  out  the  graves  of  Adam,  Abel,  Seth, 
and  Noah. 

Other  cities  of  the  Orient  are  in  ruins,  but  Damascus, 
■despite  the  horrors  of  pillage  and  conflagration  to  which  it 
has  been  subjected,  has  lived  through  the  centuries  and 
maintained  its  proud  position  as  the  "head  of  Syria"  (Isa. 
V:8).  Lamartine  termed  it  "a  predestinated  capital"  The 
praise  of  its  beauty  has  been  celebrated  by  visitors  from 
earliest  histoiy.  It  is  related  of  the  boy  Mohammed,  that 
while  5^et  a  poor  camel-driver,  catching  the  first  view  of 
Damascus  from  the  hilltop,  he  paused,  and,  after  gazing  for 
a  time  upon  its  entrancing  beauty,  turned  away  without 
entering  it,  exclaiming,  "Man  can  have  but  one  paradise, 
and  my  paradise  is  fixed  above." 

Five  miles  south  of  the  city,  an  appropriate  building  marks 
the  traditional  place  of  the  turning-point  in  the  life  of  the 
greatest  man  in  all  the  history  of  the  church.  (Acts  22 :  6- 
10.)  Here  we  were  served  with  luncheon  about  the  same 
hour  of  the  day.  Just  before  us,  surrounded  by  the  gray 
desert,  the  white  domes,  minarets,  and  towers  of  the  old  city 
seemed  to  rise  out  of  a  wilderness  of  vari-tinted  green,  com- 
bining in  a  picture  of  superb  beauty. 

7  97 


98 


The  1900  Pimsrimage 


But  Damascus  appears  to  its  best  advantage  from  a  dis- 
tance. True,  it  contains  some  fine  specimens  of  art  and 
Oriental  splendor;  its  trees,  flowers,  fountains,  and  beautiful 
Abana  delicht  the  visitor;  but  its  buildiiijis  in  the  main  are 


The  Stukkf  that  is  cai-lki)  Sri: AUJiir. 

of  the  rudest  type,  and  its  narrow,  crooked,  dirty  streets  are 
literally  packed  with  dogs  (each  one  having  the  appearance 
of  a  scoundrel),  donkeys,  camels,  and  a  swarthy  mass  of 
humanity.  The  bazaars,  however,  are  very  pretty  and  ex- 
tensive. It  is  said  that  in  them  the  traveler  may  purchase 
anything  he  may  desire,  from  a  shoe-latchet  to  a  camel,  but 


Syria  from  the  Saddle  99 

the  principal  trade  is  in  rugs,  which  are  of  a  peculiarly  fine 
quality.  In  his  words  addressed  to  Tyre,  the  seaport  of 
Damascus,  the  prophet  makes  a  remarkable  reference  to  its 
mercantile  greatness  in  early  history.     (Ezek.  27:16-18.) 

The  largest,  and  in  some  respects,  the  most  interesting 
building  in  the  city  is  the  great  mosque.  It  is  centrally 
located  and  exhibits  three  distinct  types  of  architecture. 
Until  recent  years  visitors  were  not  permitted  to  enter  it. 
A  drive  through  the  Christian  section  of  the  city  brought  to 
mind  the  horrors  of  that  fatal  ninth  of  July,  1860,  when  six 
thousand  men  met  an  awful  death  at  the  hands  of  the  fiendish 
Moslem.  Other  places  of  interest  visited  were  the  traditional 
houses  of  Ananias,  Judas,  and  Naaman,  the  latter  having  been 
appropriately  converted  into  a  hospital  for  lepers.  We  were 
also  shown  the  window  in  the  wall  through  which  Paul  was 
let  down  in  a  basket.  Part  of  the  street,  called  Straight, 
where  Ananias  was  sent  to  inquire  for  Saul,  forms  one  of  the 
most  interesting  bazaars,  and  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  city. 

Sunday  morning  we  attended  services  at  the  Presbyterian 
Church  and  listened  to  a  most  inspiring  sermon.  The  gos- 
pel seemed  to  have  added  sweetness  in  this  center  of  moral 
darkness  where  so  recently  the  soil  has  been  stained  with  the 
blood  of  martyrs. 

The  following  day  we  pursued  our  journey  northward  to 
Baalbec,  which  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated  and  interesting 
places  to  the  traveler  in  Syria.  We  shall  not  soon  forget 
our  first  sight  of  the  ruins  of  the  great  temple  in  the  mellow 
light  of  that  April  evening,  as  we  descended  from  snow- 
crowned  Lebanon.  There  is  no  written  record  concerning 
the  city  earlier  than  the  third  or  fourth  century  of  our  era. 
Its  inscriptions,  however,  bear  testimony  to  its  very  remote 
antiquity.  It  is  doubtless  the  Heliopolis  of  Greek  and  Ro- 
man literature.  Here  are  the  ruins  of  the  once  most 
renowned  heathen  temple  in  the  world.  The  six  huge  col- 
umns remaining  are  sixty  feet  in  height  and  seven  feet  in 
diameter,  having  beautifully  carved  Corinthian  capitols; 
these  are  in  three  sections  and  seventeen  feet  thick.     The  six 


100 


The  1900  Pilgrimaoe 


columns  formed  part  of  the  peristyle,  which  had  (ij^hteen 
on  each  side  and  ten  at  each  end.  It  was  a  temple  of  columns 
of  surpassing  magnificence.  Near  by  stood  the  temples  of 
Venus  and  Jupiter.     These  are  of  Roman  origin,  and  were 


I'll  I     Ti  11 II  I    10     I  II  !■:  Si'N. 

devoted  for  a  time  to  the  worship  of  the  sun  mid  stars  but 
when  Constantine  became  a  Christian  he  ceased  building 
temples  to  idols  here,  and  used  the  great  stones  he  had  (luar- 
ried  in  building  a  basilica  for  the  Master. 

Many  of  these  massive  cohunns  are  granite,  :ind  must  have 


Syria  from  the  Saddle  101 

been  brought  from  Assuan,  Egypt.  Just  how  they  were 
conveyed  is  a  question  that  perhaps  never  will  be  answered. 
The  substructure  of  the  great  temple  is  part  of  the  ancient 
"Temple  of  the  Sun."  Round  about  these  hills  are  forty 
such  tem'ples,  though  inferior  in  size.  The  name  and  loca- 
tion would  indicate  that  they  were  all  connected  with  the 
worship  of  the  sun.  It  is  a  question  as  to  who  built  these 
temples.  It  was  the  custom  of  conquerors  to  erase  the  in- 
scriptions of  the  conquered  from  their  works  of  art.  An 
inscription  found  above  the  lintel  of  a  door  recently 
excavated,  and  other  results  of  modern  research  have  led  the 
best  scholars  of  to-day  to  believe  that  Baalbec  was  built  by 
the  Hittites  and  not  by  the  Assyrians.  They  also  hold  that 
the  Greeks  got  their  architecture  from  the  Hittites  and  not 
from  the  Phoenicians.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  builders  of 
Baalbec  were  master-builders,  and  must  have  had  unlimited 
human  labor  at  their  command.  The  walls  were  built  with- 
out mortar,  and  the  joints  are  so  perfect  that  they  would  not 
admit  a  knife-blade  or  a  sheet  of  paper.  There  are  in  the 
wall,  twenty  feet  above  the  ground,  three  stones  each  sixty- 
four  feet  long  and  thirteen  feet  square.  How  were  they 
placed   there'? 

Here  was  the  center  of  Baal  worship,  whence  it  spread  to 
the  neighboring  countries,  and  when  Ahab  married  Jezebel, 
the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Sidon,  the  worship  of  Baal  almost 
supplanted  that  of  Jehovah.  The  life  and  death  struggle 
between  the  two  religions  culminated  on  Mount  Cannel, 
when  Elijah  met  the  nation  of  Israel  with  the  following 
indictment:  "How  long  halt  ye  between  two  opinions?  If 
Baal  be  God,  follow  him;  but  if  Jehovah  be  God,  follow 
him."  It  was  a  fitting  place  to  decide  the  great  question. 
Says  Dr.  Robinson :  "As  they  looked  westward  they  could 
see  the  Mediterranean  dotted  with  the  merchant  ^hips  of 
Tyre  and  Sidon,  the  great  strongholds  of  Baal.  As  they 
looked  eastward  and  southward  they  could  see  the  mountains 
and  villages  of  Israel,  around  which  were  a  thousand  hal- 
lowed   associations    and    memories    of   the   marvelojs   power 


102 


The  1900  PiuiRiMAOE 


and  loving  kindness  of  Jehovah,  the  God  of  their  fathers. 
Two  maps  were  enrolled  at  their  feet — on  the  one  side  the 
map  of  the  kingdom  of  Baal  and  on  the  other  side  the  map 
of  the  kingdom  of  Jehovah."  The  test  was  made  and  when 
the  prophets'  faith  was  so  grandly  crowned,  "The  people  felt 
that  the  good  old  days  of  the  fathers  had  come  back  to  their 
nation  and  as  one  man  they  lifted  up  their  voices  and  cried, 
'Jehovah,  He  is  God!'  Jehovah,  He  is  God!'  The  doom  of 
the  false   religion  was   scaled,   and   the  hand   of  God  wrote 


(  )KIKN1'  A  I,    IIolSK. 


upon  its  temples,  'Thou  art  wciglicd  in  the  balances  and 
found  wanting.' " 

Before  leaving  Baalbec  we  had  the  privilege  of  visiting  the 
British  mission,  which  is  doing  a  noble  work  in  this  diffi- 
cult yet  hopeful  field.  Here  we  also  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  the  Rev.  Drs.  Jessup  and  IToskins  of  the  Presby- 
terian missions,  who  favored  us  with  addresses  in  the 
evening. 

During  the  following  afternoon,  on  our  journey  down  the 
historic  Lebanon  Valley,  we  turned  aside  to  visit  the  Chris- 
tian city  of  Zahleh,  with  a  population  of  twenty  thousand. 


Syria  from  the  Saddle  103 

On  a  commanding  elevation,  overlooking  the  entire  city,  is 
the  residence  of  the  Presbyterian  missionaries.  We  shall 
always  recall  with  pleasure  the  hour  spent  in  this  home  and 
the  royal  reception  given  us  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  E.  lloskins, 
his  noble  wife,  and  three  sweet  little  children,  Jeannette, 
Clara,  and  Harold.  It  was  a  little  touch  of  home  life  that 
will  abide  in  memory,  and  always  bind  our  hearts  to  the  inter- 
ests of  these  devoted  servants  of  our  Lord. 

An  hour's  ride  brought  us  back  into  the  valley  to  our 
tents,  where  we  spent  the  last  night  of  the  camping  tour  of 
three  hundred  miles.  The  occasion  was  celebrated  with 
games,  songs,  and  speeches  around  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
camp-fires  of  the  journey.  A  thirty-mile  ride  across  JMount 
Lebanon,  the  following  day,  brought  us  to  Beirut.  With 
some  of  us  the  day  will  especially  be  remembered  by  an  inci- 
dent occurring  near  the  summit  of  the  mountain.  While 
trying  the  speed  of  our  horses  we  ran  into  a  caravan  of 
camels.  The  horse  of  my  good  friend.  Dr.  J.  W.  Smith, 
was  thrown  over  the  bank,  and  horse  and  preacher  went  roll- 
ing down  the  mountain.  The  scene  chilled  the  blood,  but  we 
were  very  happy  to  find  that  he  was  not  seriously  injured, 
which  seemed  nothing  short  of   a  miracle. 

Sacred  history  records  many  interesting  and  beautiful 
references  to  Lebanon  It  was  always  to  the  Hebrews  the 
emblem  of  wealth,  majesty,  and  glory.  This  goodly  moun- 
tain, it  is  said,  Moses  desired  to  see.  But  few  of  its  ancient 
ornaments,  the  cedar,  remain,  and  these  are  more  than  five 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Descending  from 
the  west  we  had  a  charming  view  of  the  white  city  of  Beirut, 
situated  on  a  promontory  reaching  three  miles  out  into  the 
sea.  The  writer  became  much  attached  to  the  beautiful 
Arabian  horse  that  carried  him  so  far  in  safety.  We  also 
found  that  strong  attachments  had  been  formed  between 
the  party  and  our  chief  dragomen,  John  Tamari  and  Andrew 
Issa,  both  of  Jaffa,  whom  we  take  pleasure  in  recommending 
to  our  friends  who  anticipate  visiting  the  Holy  Land. 

Beirut  is  especially  noted  for  its  schools.     It  has  been  for 


104  The  IStOO  Pilgrimage 

fifty  years  the  headquarters  of  the  noble  missionary  work 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Palestine  and  Syria.  Here 
sleeps  the  body  of  Pliny  Pisk,  the  first  Protestant  mission- 
ary to  Palestine  in  1820.  Here  are  also  the  graves  of  Drs. 
Smith  and  Van  Dyck,  who  translated  the  Bible  into  the 
Arabic,  which  has  since  gone  into  the  hands  of  fifty  millions 
of  people  who  speak  the  language  from  Morocco  to  India. 
It  was  a  privilege  to  spend  a  little  time  with  one  of  my 
friends  in  the  historic  room  where  the  work  was  done.  The 
forty  stations  of  this  church  in  Syria  and  Palestine  are  the 
germs  of  a  great  future.  They  ai'e  regenerating  influences 
that  will  by  and  by  make  this  again  the  Holy  Land.  The 
Syrian  Protestant  College  is  a  great  lighthouse  sending  its 
rays  into  Egypt,  Asia  Minor,  Greece,  Syria,  and  the  thousand 
islands  of  the  Mediterranean.  There  are  four  hundred 
students  in  the  college.  The  venerable  Dr.  Daniel  Bliss  is  a 
typical  American  and  a  fine  specimen  of  a  college  president. 


CHAPTER  XI. 
From  Beirut  to  Constantinople. 

On  our  last  evening  in  Beirut,  we  were  honored  with  a 
reception  given  under  the  auspices  of  the  Christian  Endeav- 
orers  of  the  city.  The  program  consisted  of  refreshments, 
music,  and  addresses,  and  was  most  enjoyable,  affording  a 
picture  of  the  Orient  of  the  future,  when  the  people  shall 
turn  from  the  false  prophet  to  the  one  and  only  Saviour  of 
men.  The  society  was  organized  in  April  of  last  year  with 
twenty  members,  and  is  the  only  Young  Peoi)le's  Society 
in  Syria.  It  was  indeed  a  social  feast  and  a  happy  climax 
to  two  delightful  days  spent  in  this  "Oxford  of  the  East." 

Saturday  evening,  April  14,  we  boarded  the  Austrian 
steamer  Thalia,  bound  for  the  capital  of  the  Ottoman  Em- 
pire. It  was  a  joy  to  know  that  we  were  now  facing  toward 
home.  The  trip  included  four  red-letter  days,  which  will 
be  recalled  as  among  the  happiest  of  the  pilgrimage.  The 
classic  interest  and  enchanting  beauty  of  the  Aegean,  Helles- 
pont, Marmora,  and  Bosphorus  have  been  celebrated  in  all 
history. 

At  5 :  30  P.M.  we  left  the  quiet  harbor  of  the  old  Phosnician 
city,  and  as  the  crimson  glory  of  the  setting  sun  faded  from 
the  western  sky,  the  curtains  of  the  night  gently  closed,  per- 
haps forever,  our  view  of  the  land  we  had  longed  to  see. 
But  the  memory  of  those  sacred  scenes  will  not  vanish  as  a 
dream,  nor  fade  like  the  day.  We  have  been  deeply  impressed 
with  the  marvelous  harmony  between  the  land  and  the  Book, 
by  the  way  in  which  all  the  conditions  needful  to  the  con- 
firmation of  the  Bible  story  have  been  met,  and  shall  preach 
the  everlasting  gospel  with  a  stronger  faith  and  a  firmer 
confidence  in  the  truth  of  God's  Word. 

Easter  morning  dawned  beautiful  and  bright,  and  was  as 
much  in  harmony  with  the  glorious  event  it  commemorates 

10.5 


106  The  1900  Pilgrimage 

as  one  could  imagine.  The  services  of  the  day  consisted  of 
a  sermon  in  the  morning,  Bible  reading  in  the  afternoon, 
and    Christian   Endeavor   in  the   evening. 

During  the  forenoon  we  passed  the  island  of  Cyprus,  which 
has  a  place  in  sacred  history.  While  it  was  fii'St  visited  for 
missionary  purposes  by  Barnabus  and  Paul  (Acts  13:4), 
there  were  Christians  here  before  Stephen's  martyrdom. 
During  the  persecutions  which  followed  some  of  them  re- 
turned preaching  the  gospel.  (Acts  11:  19,  20.)  Since  1571 
the  island  has  been  in  the  possession  of  the  Turks,  though 
by  a  treaty  of  1878  Great  Britain  administers  and  holds  it 
as  a  ijlace  of  arms.  The  following  morning,  April  10,  we 
awoke  to  find  our  steamer  anchored  in  the  quiet  harbor  of 
Rhodes,  which  has  been  famed  for  its  Colossus.  The  pillars 
of  the  great  arch  and  lighthouse,  said  to  have  been  one  hun- 
dred and  five  feet  high,  etill  remain.  We  were  given  two 
hours  for  sight-seeing  in  the  city.  The  island,  forty-five 
miles  long  and  eight  miles  wide,  is  faii'ly  well  timbered,  and 
is  especially  remarkable  for  its  orange  and  citron  groves.  The 
ship  in  which  Paul  sailed  to  Palestine  at  least  touched  at 
Rhodes  (Acts  21:  1),  which  was  then  a  splendid  city. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  were  i)ermitted  to  look  upon  the 
rugged  isle  of  Patmos,  a  household  word  wherever  the  gospel 
is  preached.  Here  John  was  banished  "for  the  word  of  God 
and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,"  and  was  permitted 
to  enter  within  the  veil  that  divides  the  seen  from  the  un- 
seen, and  bring  back  to  the  world  I  he  thrilling  picture  of 
the  celestial  city,  the  future  home  of  the  righteous,  where 
there  is  life  as  pure  and  sweet  as  God  can  make  it.  The 
highest  summit  of  the  island,  which  is  fifteen  miles  in  cir- 
cumference, is  crowned  with  the  imposing  Castle  of  St.  John. 

Tuesday  morning  we  witnessed  a  beautiful  sunrise  from 
the  bay  of  Smyrna.  The  city,  seen  from  the  sea.  rising  tier 
above  tier  on  the  hillside,  is  strikingly  ]iicturesque.  It  has 
preserved  an  unbroken  identity  of  name  from  its  earliest 
history,  and  has  a  present  population  of  nearly  a  quarter  of 
a  million.     Charles  Dudley  Warner  thus  sums  up  its  anoma- 


From  Beirut  to  Constantinople  107 

lous  character :  "One  of  the  most  ancient  cities  of  the  globe, 
it  has  no  appearance  ol  antiquity;  containing  all  nationali- 
ties, it  has  no  nationality;  the  second  commercial  city  of  the 
East,  it  has  no  chamber  of  commerce,  no  bourse,  no  com- 
mercial unity;  its  citizens  are  of  no  country,  and  have  no 
impulse  of  patriotism;  it  is  an  Asiatic  city,  with  a  Euro- 
pean face;  it  produces  nothing,  it  exchanges  everything;  the 
children  of  the  East  are  sent  to  its  schools,  but  it  has  no 
literary  character,-  nor  any  influence  of  culture;  it  is  hospi- 
table to  all  religions,  and  conspicuous  for  none;  it  is  the 
paradise  of  the  Turks,  the  home  of  luxury  and  beautiful 
women."  Smyrna  was  the  second  of  the  seven  churches 
addressed  by  John.  (Rev.  2 :  8-11.)  To  this  church  he  said, 
"Be  thou  faithful  unto  death  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown 
of  life."  Here  Polycarp,  the  first  bishop,  was  martyred,  A. 
D.  169.  We  visited  his  traditional  grave  and  plucked  some 
twigs  from  the  cyprus-tree  overshadowing  it.  Smyrna  is  one 
of  the  seven  cities  claiming  the  birthplace  of  Homer.  Here 
we  spent  a  day,  half  of  which  was  taken  by  twenty-three  of 
the  party  for  an  excursion  to  Ephesus,  forty-eight  miles 
distant.  The  trip  was  made  to  Ayasalouk  by  rail,  from 
which  point  the  ruins  were  visited  on  horseback.  Mr.  T.  J. 
Wood  has  done  much  to  unearth  this  crumbled,  buried  city. 
The  splendid  magnitude  of  the  marble  heaps  argues  the 
beauty  of  that  once  peerless  temple  of  Diana.  Of  the  nu- 
merous ruins  the  party  was  impressed  most  of  all  with  the 
ampitheater,  built  in  the  niche  of  Mt.  Coressus.  The  out- 
lines are  still  quite  distinct.  We  are  told  that  it  had  a  seat- 
ing capacity  of  over  twenty-four  thousand.  Members  of  the 
party  stood  at  various  places  in  the  building  and  could  with 
ease  hear  words  spoken  by  others  from  the  stage,  showing 
that  the  acoustic-  properties  were  quite  pei'fect.  Adjoining 
was  the  building  pointed  out  as  the  one  in  which  the  wild 
beasts  had  been  confined,  all  suggesting  many  of  the  say- 
ings of  the  great  apostle.  Here  where  these  ruins  lie,  Paul 
one  lived  and  labored;  on  these  sculptured  blocks  of  marble 
he   once   looked.     What   silent   witnesses    are   these    stones! 


108  The  1900  Pilgrimage 

They  speak  of  another  civilization  and  of  wonderful  changes 
wrought  in  the  history  of  thirty  centuries. 

At  4:  30  P.M.  we  were  again  on  board  the  steamer  moving 
northward,  and  talking  over  the  experiences  of  the  day. 
Early  the  following  morning  we  reached  the  Dardanelles,  the 
ancient  Hellespont,  which  connects  the  Aegean  and  Mar- 
mora seas.  The  straits  are  thirty-three  miles  in  length, 
with  an  average  width  of  two  miles.  The  place  is  replete 
with  classic  reminiscences.  To  the  right,  stretching  forty 
miles  toward  the  sunrise,  are  the  plains  of  Troy,  and  not 
far  away  are  the  ruins  of  the  old  city.  At  Nazara  Point 
the  mightiest  army  that  ever  tramped  the  earth,  commanded 
by  Xerxes,  crossed  into  Europe.  It  is  also  famous  from 
the  stoiy  of  Hero  and  Leander.  The  name  of  Lord  Byron 
is  connected  with  its  history,  and  the  tekkek  in  which  he 
resided  still  exists.  The  shores  of  Asia  and  Europe  gradu- 
ally approach  each  other  until  the  narrowest  point  is  reached 
at  the  "Castles  of  the  Dardanelles,"  which  carefully  guard 
the  way  to  the  Marmora  and  Black  seas.  One  is  impressed 
while  passing  between  these  forts,  from  which  scores  of 
powerful  guns  cover  the  narrows,  that  it  would  require  a 
formidable  fleet  and  land  force  combined  to  press  an  entrance 
to  the  harbor  of  the  "Sultan's  Paradise,"  which  lies  like  a 
bridge  more  beautiful  and  secure  than  human  skill  and 
hand  could  construct,  uniting  the  Orient  and  the  Occident. 
The  morning  was  ideal;  all  nature  combined  in  making  the 
day  a  succession  of  delights.  While  the  air  was  balmy,  it 
was  too  gentle  to  ripple  the  glassy  smoothness  of  the  Mar- 
mora. About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  in  the  hazy  dis- 
tance, the  glittering  city  of  Constantinople  came  into  view. 
Far  to  the  south  loomed  snow-crowned  Olympus,  like  a 
pillar  of  cloud  against  the  horizon.  In  front  of  us  is  the 
Bosphorus,  lined  with  its  marble  palaces.  To  the  south,  on 
the  coast  of  Asia,  commanding  a  magnificent  view  of  the 
sea,  is  the  city  of  Scutari.  To  the  north,  on  the  European 
side  are  the  cities  of  Stamboul,  Oalila,  and  Pora,  celebrated 
for   their   mosques,    with    minarets    that    appear   like   shafts 


From  Beirut  to  Constantinople  109 

of  polished  ivory  piercing  the  blue  sky.  This  enchanting 
picture  of  the  city  from  the  sea,  to  which  Lmguage 
does  imperfect  justice,  will  be  of  life-long  interest.  Some 
one  has  said  that  "if  there  be  one  city  in  the  world  whose 
sight  combines  in  absolute  perfection,  beauty  and  utility, 
and  which,  while  radiant  with  loveliness,  holds  the  most 
enviable  location  on  the  globe,  it  is  beyond  a  doubt  Constan- 
tinople." Soon  we  were  taken  ashore,  and  after  a  short 
delay  in  the  custom-house  were  driven  to  Hotels  Londres 
and  Bristol  where  we  were  comfortably  homed  for  three 
days. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

CONSTANTIXOI'LE,    AtIIENS,    NaPLES. 

Constantinople^  like  the  "Eternal  City,"  is  builded  upon 
seven  hills,  but  is  unique  in  having  these  cluster  about  the 
threshold  of  two  great  continents,  constituting  the  dividing 
line  between  the  East  and  West.  The  city  was  founded  in 
658  B.  C,  and  the  present  population  is  about  nine  hundred 
thousand.  Its  situation  can  best  be  appreciated  from  the 
famous  Byzantine  tower,  to  which  we  made  our  first  visit 
after  reaching  the  city.  This  observatory^,  which  long  ago 
was  called  "The  Tower  of  Christ,"  presents  a  vision  o+"  beauty 
that  words  cannot  describe.  Here  the  generosity  of  nature 
and  splendid  works  of  art  combine  with  the  wonderful  occur- 
rences and  strange  legends  of  the  old  city's  checkered  history 
in  exciting  the  fancy  of  the  traveler.  Stamboul  is  separated 
from  Galita  and  Pera  by  the  "Golden  Horn."  This  glitter- 
ing arm  of  the  sea,  upon  which  we  were  favored  with  an 
afternoon  excursion,  is  six  miles  long,  and  four  hundred  and 
ninety  yards  wide,  forming  one  of  the  most  secure  and 
capacious  harbors  of  the  w^orld.  Scutari,  on  the  Asiatic  side 
of  the  Bosphorus,  rises  in  magnificent  outline,  with  a  moun- 
tain background  eight  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high.  Here 
Constantino  the  Great  won  the  victory  which  made  him  sole 
master  of  the  Roman  Empire.  It  was  also  the  scene  of  the 
beautiful,  sublime  self-forgetfulness  of  Florence  Nightingale, 
who,  like  an  angel  of  mercy,  turned  away  from  home  and 
friends,  and  here  ministered  to  the  wounded  and  dying  Brit- 
ish soldiers  broiight  down  from  Crimea,  until  one  cannot  help 
feeling  that  she  fairly  earned  a  martyr's  crown. 

The  "Royal  Palace"  is  situated  on  the  heights  above  the 
European  shore  of  the  Bosphorus,  conunanding  a  superb 
view  of  the  Black  Sea,  Marmora,  and  entrance  to  the  harbor. 
Within  this  enclosure  of  gardens  and  lakes,  familiarly  known 


Constantinople,  Athens,  Naples  111 

as  the  "Sultan's  Paradise,'"  the  present  heartless  ruler  spends 
all  of  his  time,  except  on  Friday,  when  he  is  escorted  with 
great  pomp  to  the  palace  of  prayer.  Friday,  April  20,  we 
secured  permission  through  the  American  consul,  Mr.  Hayes, 
to  witness  this  curious  event,  which  visitors  regard  as  a 
principal  part  of  their  program  while  in  the  city.  Our 
position  afforded  an  excellent  view  of  the  famous  avenue  lead- 
ing ±rom  the  palace  to  the  mosque.  The  appearance  of  the 
royal  carriage  was  preceeded  by  a  splendid  military  display. 
Following  the  strains  of  music,  ten  thousand  soldiers  lined  up 
on  each  side  of  the  avenue  four  columns  deep.  Just  out- 
side the  church-yard  gate,  as  if  to  conceal  from  the  view  of 
the  dastardly  monarch  that  part  of  the  city  known  as  Pera, 
where  a  few  short  years  ago,  at  his  own  instigation,  six 
thousand  Christians  were  mercilessly  put  to  death,  were  five 
hundred  elegantly-uniformed  soldiers  mounted  upon  white 
horses.  Crimson  bannere,  decorated  with  the  crescent,  were 
displayed  by  the  hundreds,  making  the  scene  one  of  novel  and 
thrilling  interest.  At  high  noon  the  caller  to  prayer  from 
his  lofty  position  on  the  marble  minaret  chanted  out  upon 
the  air  the  sacred  formula, 

"Allah  hvi  Akbar 
La  ilia  ilia  Allah: 
Siadnah  Mohammed  Rasoul  Allah  ; 
Hayah  Allah  II  Salah, 
Hoja  Allah  II  Fallah." 

Which  being  interpreted,  is : 

"God  is  great. 
There  is  but  one  God. 
Our  lord,  Mohammed,  is  his  prophet. 
Come  to  prayers ! 
Attend  to  your  devotions." 

Then  the  royal  carriage  made  its  appearance  drawn  by 
fiery  steeds,  and  followed  by  the  leading  men  of  state,  who 
were  almost  breathless  when  they  reached  the  mosque. 
Such  an  exhibition  of  absolute  monarchy  and  abject  servi- 
tude   is    most    disgusting    to    an    American.     Never    before 


112 


The  1!»0U  Pilgrimage 


have  we  felt  a  more  genuine  appreciation  of  our  own  "sweet 
land  of  liberty,"  which  exalts  manhood  and  ennobles  woman- 
hood. 

The  mosques  of  the  city  are  of  great  beauty,  being  com- 
posed of  pure  white  marble.  The  most  important  of  these  is 
St.  Sophia,  which  ranks,  perhaps,  as  the  finest  example  of 
Byzantine  style.  On  entering  the  bronze  gate  over  which 
was  originally  a  copy  of  the  four  Gospels,  one  cannot  fail 
to  be  impressed  by  the  bold  span  of  the  arches,  and  the  still 
bolder  sweep  of  the  dome,  while  the  eye  is  at  once  bewildered 
and  charmed  by  the  decorations,  rich  with  mosaic  of  the 
purest  and  most  refined  style.     It  is  said  that  the  plan  is  of 


jti-:  111'  AciCMiiu. 


divine  origin,  having  been  divulged  to  the  emperor  in  the 
year  502  by  an  angel  from  heaven.  Much  superstition  is 
connected  with  it.  A  favorite  tradition  is  that  the  church 
is  haunted  every  Easter  eve  by  a  chorus  of  angels,  many 
testifying  that  they  have  heard  the  angelic  chorus  i^rform. 
In  1453,  when  the  city  was  captured  by  the  Turks,  the  church 
was  converted  into  a  mosque,  and  the  sacred  decorations 
were  covqred  with  paint.  In  dim  outlines  may  yet  be  seen 
figures  of  the  cross  upon  the  ceiling,  also  pictures  of  the 
virgin,  St.  John,  and  Christ  in  the  act  of  benediction.     To 


Constantinople,  Athens,  Naples  113 

add  to  the  splendor  of  this  magnificent  structure  the  tem- 
ples of  the  gods  at  Baalbec,  Heliopolis,  Ephesus,  and  Athens 
were  plundered  of  their  richest  columns. 

Other  places  of  interest  are  the  bazaars,  hippodrome^  and 
the  Imperial  Museum  of  Antiquities.  One  of  the  most 
interesting  relics  it  contains  is  the  sarcophagus  of  Alexander 
the  Great,  which  was  discovered  in  Sidon.  The  scene  of 
the  battle  in  which  the  famous  general  was  victorious  is 
illustrated  in  a  carving  on  its  side  that  is  simply  marvelous 
in  its  effect.  The  city  is  also  noted  for  its  elegant  stores  of 
modern  style.  But  these  sections  representing  European 
civilization  are  contrasted  with  degeneracy,  barbarism,  and 
ignorance  in  other  sections  that  cannot  be  surpassed  in  the 
Orient.  Surely  the  old  city  comprehends  all  the  ranges  from 
an  earthly  paradise  to  a  gehenna.  The  streets  are  lined  with 
hungry,  filthy  dogs,  that  seem  to  have  the  right  of  way  and 
everything  else  must  go  around  them  or  over  them.  It  is 
possible  to  stop  on  many  of  the  streets  and  count  fifty  of 
these  animals  within  a  radius  of  a  hundred  feet.  I'hey  are 
the  scavengers  of  the  city.  They  eat  up  the  garbage  which 
is  thrown  into  the  streets.  When  some  one  inquired  why 
they  did  not  employ  men  as  scavengers,  the  reply  was  that 
"dogs  did  the  work  much  cheaper." 

Among  the  enjoyable  features  of  our  itinerary  was  an  ex- 
cursion to  the  Black  Sea.  Indeed,  it  would  be  difficult  to 
imagine  anything  more  beautiful  and  interesting  than  the 
scenery  along  the  Bosphorus,  where  the  opposite  banks  of 
Europe  and  Asia  for  fifteen  miles  "coquettishly  advance 
toward  each  other  and  then  retreat  in  a  delightful  series  of 
undulating  wooded  hills." 

Saturday  morning,  April  21,  we  sailed  out  of  the  peaceful 
harbor  on  the  Austrian  steamer  Euferpa,  bound  for  Athens. 
Late  in  the  evening  we  must  have  crossed  Paul's  track  on 
his  first  visit  to  Europe,  cariying  in  his  brave  heart  the 
embyro  future  of  a  new  Christian  world. 

In  the  mellow  afternoon  of  the  Lord's  day  we  reached  the 
Athenian  harbor  at  Piraeus.     At  this  point  a  charming  view 


114  The    1900  Pilgrimage 

of  the  city  is  obtained,  with  the  imposing  Acropolis  in  the 
center,  reminding  the  visitor  that  he  is  now  standing  on  the 
threshold  of  one  of  the  most  interesting  countries  of  the 
world. 

A  six-mile  drive  brought  us  to  our  hotel  in  the  central  part 
of  the  city.  Athens  has  a  ijopulation  of  over  a  bundled  thou- 
sand and  is  the  most  handsome  and  regularly-built  city  we 
have  seen  since  leaving  America.  Its  modern  structures,  of 
costliest  materials,  with  its  ruined  shrines  and  splendid  me- 
morials of  the  past,  compose  an  impressive  blending  of  the 
old  and  new. 

Our  first  excursion  was  a  drive  of  twelve  miles  over  the 
"Sacred  Way"  to  the  ruins  of  Eleusis.  Midway,  beyond  the 
hill  of  Gallius,  we  halted  for  a  time  at  the  old  convent  of 
St.  Elias,  occupying  the  site  of  the  ancient  temple  of  Apollo. 
Then  skirting  the  crystal  waters  of  the  sacred  Bay  of  Eleusis, 
another  hour  brought  us  to  the  ruins  of  the  old  temple,  some 
of  which  have  been  recently  excavated.  The  hills  round 
about  contain  evidences  of  the  buildings  of  many  ages  and 
periods.  To  this  temple  of  "Sirus"  or  "mystery"  came  the 
royal  procession  once  a  year  on  its  strange  mission  to  com- 
mune with  "the  Unknown."  "Its  mysteries,"  said  riutarch, 
"had  in  them  something  of  a  soul  divine." 

No  place  is  so  attractive  to  the  visitor  in  Athens  as  the 
magnificent  Acropolis  with  its  temples  and  statues  rising 
four  hundred  feet  above  the  town.  The  Parthenon,  which  is 
the  most  perfect  monument  of  ancient  art,  and  even  match- 
less in  its  ruins,  was  originally  connected  with  the  city  by 
a  marble  stairway  sixty-two  feet  wide.  In  1670  a  bomb  from 
the  batteries  of  Morosini  struck  a  gunpowder  magazine  of 
the  Turks  within  the  temple,  and  instantly,  "with  one  wild 
roar,  as  though  nature  itself  were  shrieking  at  the  sacrilege," 
its  matchless  beauty  was  largely  destroyed.  The  ethereal 
blue  sky  through  these  columns  of  PiMitolic  marble  presents 
a  scene  of  rarest  beauty.  Near  by  is  the  Temple  of  Atliene, 
with  its  ex<iuisite  reliefs,  once  containing  tlic  Greek  gods 
grouped  in  sculptured  figures  symbolizing  the  union  of  im- 


Constantinople,  Athens,  Naples 


115 


mortals  to  guard  the  Athenian  state.  The  genuine  love  for 
the  beautiful  is  everywhere  manifested.  Beauty  with  the 
Greeks  was  not  mere  sentiment,  but  another  name  for  per- 
fection. 

Upon  this  favored  spot  nature  has  bountifully  lavished  her 
gifts.  The  hill  of  the  Pnyx  is  termed  by  Sir  Frederick 
Leighton  and  Sir  Henry  Thompson  "the  finest  view  in  the 
world."  On  the  east  is  Hymettus,  at  the  base  of  which, 
stretching  southward  to  the  Aegean   Sea,  are  the  "Elysian 


Tjik  l'Ai;TJii:>\)N. 

fields."  Not  far  away  is  the  island  of  Salamis,  with  its 
historic  battle-field,  and  farther  toward  the  sunset  may  be 
seen  the  dim  outlines  of  the  mountain  of  Corinth.  On  the  west 
are  the  plains  of  Attica.  To  the  north  are  the  mountains 
of  Parnes  and  Pentelicus,  and  beyond  are  the  plains  of 
Marathon.  These  scenes  work  upon  the  imagination  with 
a  subtle  charm.  What  a  mighty  part  Athens  has  played 
upon  the  stage  of  histoi-y  through  such  men  as  Socrates, 
Plato,  Pericles,  Aristotle,  Demosthenes,  Phidias,  and  Xeno- 
phon !  A  noted  Christian  scholar  has  recently  said  that 
"Greek  culture  is  the  left  arm  of  God,  visiblv  let  down  into 


116  The  1900  Pilgrimagk 

history,  just  as  Christian  culture  is  the  right  arm  of  God 
visibly  let  down  into  history." 

The  Temple  of  Theseus,  so  well  preserved;  the  Theater  of 
Dionysius,  in  which  the  masterpieces  of  the  artists  first 
excited  delight  and  admiration ;  the  Arch  of  Hadrian,  lead- 
ing to  the  massive  Temple  of  Zeus,  are  all  of  special  interest, 
and  "as  full  of  historic  presences  as  the  mellow  day  is  full 
of  sunlight."  Modern  Athens  can  boast  of  its  Royal  Palace, 
its  splendidly-equipped  university,  and  museums. 

An  afternon  was  spent  at  the  Stadion,  where  we  had  the 
pleasure  of  witnessing  a  drill  bj'  five  hundred  students,  which 
was  exceedingly  interesting  and  entertaining.  Plere  we  also 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  King  George  and  the  royal  family. 
At  the  close  of  the  exercises  our  party  arose,  and,  displaying 
the  Greek  and  American  flags,  gave  three  cheers  for  King 
George,  three  cheers  for  Greece,  and  three  cheers  for  Amer- 
ica. The  king  arose  and  bowed  appreciatively,  after  which 
the  very  heavens  seemed  to  be  vocal  with  the  applause  of  the 
great  audience  of  twenty  thousand  people. 

We  shall  always,  have  the  most  happy  recollections  of  a 
drive  to  the  site  of  Plato's  Academy.  The  surrounding 
labyrinth  of  foliage  may  yet  bear  something  of  resemblance 
to  the  one  of  the  times  when  the  distinguished  teacher  taught 
his  select  students  while  walking  in  the  groves.  The  chief 
pleasure  of  our  last  evening  in  iVthens  was  that  of  witnessing 
the  sunset  from  the  Acropolis.  A  Turner  could  not  paint  the 
emblazoned  glory  that  enveloped  the  hills  of  sacred  Eleusis, 
and  the  delicate  tinges  that  played  upon  the  far-awr,y  moun- 
tains as  the  light  of  the  (l;iy  died  out  I'l-om  the  skies.  In  the 
twilight  we  stood  again  on  "the  Hill  of  .Mars."  Xo  one  awx 
look  iipoii  these  scenes  without  iti-olound  ciiioiiDU.  For  the 
moment  we  tried  to  summon  the  multitudes,  and  hear  Paul 
address  them.  But  the  faded  memorials  of  the  past  on  every 
side,  in  their  lonely  silence,  seemed  to  mock  our  efi^orts,  and 
we  turned  sadly  away.  Friday,  April  27,  we  left  on  a  Greek 
steamer  for  Italy,  passing  through  the  Pay  of  Corinlh  in  \hv 
afteninnn  of  the  snme  dav.     We  were  favored  with  nn  excel- 


Constantinople,  Athens,  Naples  117 

lent  view  of  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  city.  Here  the  great 
Paul  labored  for  eighteen  months.  The  church  he  estab- 
lished, to  wliich  he  subsequently  wrote  two  letters,  grew  into 
great  prominence.  In  the  second  century  its  bishop  pos- 
sessed great  influence  in  the  church  at  large.  As  we  pro- 
ceeded toward  the  Ionian  sea,  on  either  side  of  the  bay  were 
majestic  mountains  veiled  in  a  soft  lavender  haze,  while  their 
tops  were  crowned  with  glittering  snow.  Late  in  the  evening 
our  steamer  was  anchored  for  two  hours  at  Petros.  The 
following  day  at  noon  we  reached  Corfu.  Preceding  us 
into  the  little  harbor  was  the  elegant  private  steamer  of  King 
George.  The  mission  of  the  royal  family  was  to  receive 
Prince  Henry  of  the  German  fleet,  who  was  expected  to 
arrive  the  same  day.  Seen  from  the  bay  the  city  of  Corfu 
with  its  twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants,  is  very  romantic 
in  appearance.  [Napoleon  pronounced  its  climate  to  be  the 
loveliest  in  the  world.  Early  the  following  morning  we 
reached  Brindisi.  This,  we  are  reminded,  is  the  termination 
of  the  Appian  Way.  Here  Virgil  died.  Here  Caesar  once 
endeavored  to  shut  up  Pompey's  fleet  in  this  land-locked 
harbor.  After  a  little  rest  and  a  European  breakfast  we 
boarded  a  train  for  Naples,  arriving  at  four  o'clock,  in  the 
afternoon.  The  celebrated  scenery  of  southern  Italy  was 
thoroughly  enjoyed  by  all.  While  at  Naples  we  were  favored 
with  excursions  to   Vesuvius   and   Pompeii. 

To  walk  among  the  excavated  streets  and  temples  of  the 
old  city,  overshadowed  by  the  awful  mount  w-hich  has  been 
holding  high  its  smoking  torch  for  more  than  nineteen 
hundred  years,  is  a  strange  experience.  Its  art  treasures 
have  enriched  the  museums  of  the  world.  Its  roofless  houses 
and  beautiful  frescoed  walls ;  its  cisterns  and  fountains  from 
which  the  people  drank;  its  ovens  in  which  the  bread  was 
baked,  still  well-preserved;  its  broken  columns  and  rich 
mosaic  designs  of  marble  scattered  among  its  desolate  ave- 
nues, with  the  story  of  its  startling,  sudden  destruction 
present  a  pathetic  and  deeply-impressive  scene.  After  rest- 
ing in  their  ashen  graves  for  centuries,  it  would  appear  that 


118 


The  1!»00  Pilgrimaok 


God  is  now  causing  them  to  be  imcovered  in  order  to  publish 
to  the  world  the  cause  of  the  city's  sudden  destruction  by 
revealing  the  wickedness  of  the  private  life  of  the  Roman 
citizens  before  that  awful  November  night  more  than  eigh- 
teen centuries  ago. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Imperial  City. 

A  PERFECT  eastern  morning  was  that  of  May  2,  when  we 
turned  our  faces  eagerly  toward  Rome.  Next  to  the  Holy 
City,  which  holds  the  cross  and  the  tomb  of  the  Christ,  in  its 
power  to  charm  the  hearts  of  men,  is  the  Imperial  City, 
which  holds  the  cradle  and  the  grave  of  empires.  Pass- 
ing Caserta  with  its  royal  palace  and  famous  fountain  we 
reach  Capua  which  was  once  the  second  city  in  Italy.  It  is 
now  a  mere  village  and  very  different  in  appearance  from 
the  old  city  which  was  conquered  by  Hannibal.  The  moun- 
tain peaks  on  every  side  are  crowned  with  monastf^ries  and 
with  the  ruins  of  ancient  temples.  Our  way  leads  along  the 
slopes  of  the  Apennines,  and  there  is  unfolded  view  after 
view  worthy  of  the  artist's  pencil  and  the  painter's  brush. 
Indeed,  it  would  seem  that  nature  here  makes  a  special  effort 
in  its  inimitable  way  to  charm  the  traveler.  To  this  magni- 
ficent scenery,  art  has  added  its  touch  of  beauty.  The 
orchards  and  vineyards  are  planted  and  trained  according  to 
rules  of  landscape  gardening.  Early  in  the  afternoon  our 
swiftly  speeding  train  ushered  us  suddenly  into  the  ijresence 
of  fragments  of  walls,  broken  arches,  and  ruins  of  temples; 
the  disconnected  spans  of  a  great  aqueduct  stretched  far 
across  the  plain  and  we  knew  by  these  relics  of  antiquity 
that  we  must  have  reached  the  plain  of  the  Latin  Campagna. 
In  another  moment,  the  great  domes  of  the  Eternal  City 
rise  before  our  vision.  It  has  always  been  counted  a  rare 
privilege  to  see  Rome.  Nineteen  centuries  ago  the  great 
Paul,  with  an  impassionate  enthusiasm  looked  for  the  first 
time  upon  the  city  and  his  long-pent-up  heart-throbs  were 
stilled.  When  Martin  Luther  made  his  famous  pilgrimage 
and  from  afar  saw  the  cloud-capped  towers  and  solemn 
temples,  he  uncovered  his  head  and,  falling  upon  his  knees, 

119 


120  The  UiOU  Pilgrimage 

exclaimed,  "1  salute  thee,  O   Kome !   venerable  through  the 
blood  and  tombs  of  martyrs." 

At  three  o'clock  our  train  pulled  into  the  large  station; 
the  officer  called  out  "Koma,"  and  it  seemed  that  a  hundred 
voices  took  up  the  echo.  We  were  then  placed  in  carriages 
and  driven  through  the  historic  streets  that  seemed  to  us 
like  lecture  halls.  Soon  we  reached  Hotel  Mori  no,  where 
we  were  assigned  comfortable  quarters.  The  entertainment 
was  considered  first-class  and  satisfactory  by  all. 

The  matter  of  determining  our  itinerary,  in  order  to  make 
the  best  use  of  the  few  days  allotted  us  in  the  Imperial  City, 
was  most  perplexing.  The  party,  however,  was  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  S.  Russell  Forbes,  the  distinguished  archaeo- 
logical and  historical  lecturer  on  Roman  antiquities.  We 
were  delighted  when  it  was  announced  that  our  first  drive 
would  be  to  Capitolinc  Hill.  Rushing  through  the  busy 
streets  with  their  elegant  stores  and  fountains  surrounding 
dreamy-looking  monuments,  we  crossed  the  Yellow  Tiber 
and  ascended  the  hill  around  which  centers  the  most  brilliant 
paragraphs  of  Roman  history.  Presently  our  carriages 
halted  at  the  foot  of  a  majestic  flight  of  steps,  leading  to  a 
summit  where  colossal  statues  of  old  Roman  gods  looked 
down  upon  us.  On  either  side  of  the  historic  stairway  is 
a  terraced  garden  filled  with  rarest  flowers  and  shrubbery. 
Within  the  inclosure  was  the  caged  wolf,  which  is  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  of  its  kind  I  have  ever  seen.  It  is  faith- 
fully cared  for,  and  kept  sleek  and  fat,  in  commemoration  of 
its  illustrious  ancestress  that  sustained  the  half-mythical 
founder  of  the  city.  To  our  left  was  the  splendid  statue  of 
Rienzi,  the  last  of  the  Roman  Tribunes.  It  was  down  the 
steps  which  these  have  replaced  that  ho  fled  in  his  last  mo- 
ments, to  fall  at  their  base  bleeding  from  twenty  womids. 
On  either  side  of  the  stairway  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  stand 
the  colossal  statues  of  Castor  and  Pollux  liesido  their  horses 
which  seem  so  life-like  that  one  could  imagijie  he  could 
see  them  breathing.  In  the  center  of  this  celebrated  square 
is  the  imposing  bronze  statue  of  "Marcus  Auivlius.     In  front 


The  Imperial  City 


121 


of  us  was  the  eapitol  building,  while  on  the  right  was  the 
Senate  house  and  the  temple  of  Jove,  and  on  the  left  the 
House  of  Vestals  and  the  temple  of  Juno.  It  was  in  this 
square  that  Brutus  harangued  the  unwilling  populace,  after 
the   murder    of    Ctiesar.     How    magnificent    must    have    been 


Broken  Coll'mns  of  the  Fokum. 


the  view  from  this  hill  when  it  broke  upon  Paul's  vision ! 
Luxury  so  frantic,  wealth  so  enormous,  beauty  so  exaberant, 
power  so  centralized,  the  world  had  never  seen.  Turning 
our  eyes  southward  the  Palatine  Hill,  once  crowned  with  the 
palaces  of  the  Caesars  was  in  full  view,  and  before  the  hand 
of  our  learned  guide  fell  to  his  side,  he  pointed  out  the  seven 
hills  of  Rome  upon  which  are  stamped  the  impress  of  nearly 


122  The  1!)U0  Pilgrimage 

thirty    centuries.     Indeed,    it    is    bewilderinji'    to    attempt    a 
description  of  the  objects  that  surrounded  us. 

But  the  scene  that  meets  our  gaze  is  only  the  outer  shell, 
the  wreck  and  ruin  of  the  capital  to  which  art  and  architec- 
ture once  lent  a  matchless  beauty. 

"See  the  wild  waste  of  all-devouring  years ! 
How  Rome  her  own  sad  sepulchre  appears, 
With  nodding  arches,  broken  temples  spread  ! 
The  very  tombs  now  vauish'd  like  their  dead." 

It  IS  said  that  when  a  great  poet  once  stood  upon  tins  hill 
thinking  of  the  bards  and  patriots,  the  heroes  and  martyrs 
that  sleep  in  sight,  he  expressed  a  desire  that  he  might  be  in 
Rome  upon  the  resurrection  morning.  The  Capitoline 
Museum  occupies  the  place  of  the  palace  of  the  Senators. 
Here  are  found  many  portraits  of  ancient  rulers,  and  many 
of  the  original  works  of  the  master  artists.  It  would  be 
an  exceeding  pleasure  to  feast  the  eyes  for  days  upon  these 
art  treasures.  The  "Faun  of  Praxiteles"  holds  the  visitor 
with  a  spell  that  is  not  easily  broken.  We  shall  always  read 
with  a  new  interest  Hawthorne's  Romance  of  "The  Marble 
Faun."  Next  we  stand  in  the  presence  of  the  pathetic  figure 
called  the  "Dying  Gladiator."  No  work  of  art  in  the  great 
museum  has  stamped  itself  more  vividly  upon  my  mind,  and 
the  imninrtnl  linos  of  Byron  have  a  new  meaning. 

"I  see  before  me  tho  gladiator  lie  ! 

He  leans  upon  his  hand — his  manly  brow, 
(Consents  to  death,  but  conquers  agony. 
And  his  droop'd  liead  sinks  gradually  low " 

We  were  loath  to  turn  away  fmm  tlie  cliariiiiiig  licnuty  of 
the  "Capitoline  Venus,"  for  in  it  beauty  has  so  nearly  ap- 
proximated perfection.  Descending  the  hill  on  the  south 
side  we  were  face  to  face  with  the  ruins  of  the  Forum.  How 
splendid  the  i)icture  must  have  been  in  PnuTs  era;  then  the 
Forum  was  (uic  stately  avenue  of  triunii)linl  arches,  temples, 
columns,  and    monuments,    all    glowing    and    glorious    with 


The  Imperial  City  123 

radiant  beauty.  Near  by  us  is  the  Tarpean  Rock  from  which 
traitors  in  olden  times  had  to  leap  to  their  executions.  In 
front  of  us  we  traced  the  windings  of  the  Sacred  Way  over 
which  triumphant  legions  and  humbled  kings  have  traveled. 
Here  Rome  enthroned  her  heroes;  it  was  the  scene  of  her 
earliest  glories  and  many  of  her  latest  crimes.  In  the  center 
of  the  great  square  of  the  Forum  stood  the  "Golden  Mile- 
stone" on  which  was  inscribed  the  distances  to  all  the  chief 
cities  of  the  world,  and  from  which  the  roads  led  out  to  every 
part  of  that  mighty  empire  subject  to  the  Caesars.  Here 
Mark  Anthony  pronounced  his  oration  over  the  dead  body 
of  Caesar  and  these  pillars  must  have  echoed  to  the  voice 
of  Cicero  when  he  pronounced  his  immortal  oration  against 
Cataline.  Here  are  the  stately  columns  that  tell  of  the  tem- 
ple of  Saturn  erected  nearly  a  thousand  years  before  Christ. 
Three  triumphant  arches  are  prominent;  one  built  to  Con- 
stantine  speaks  of  his  victory  over  Maxentius.  The  second 
is  that  of  Septimus  Severus,  a  marble  structure  in  honor  of 
his  victories  over  the  Persians,  built  in  the  fourth  century. 
The  arch  of  Titus  has  stood  for  nearly  nineteen  hundred 
years  and  commemorates  the  fall  of  Jerusalem.  Standing 
by  this  famous  structure  we  imagined  that  we  could  almost 
hear  the  tramp  of  the  procession  as  the  captive  Jews  entered 
the  city  in  humiliation  when  all  Rome  was  making  holiday. 
What  a  change  twenty  centuries  have  wrought !  These 
deserted  ruins  representing  architecture  at  its  best,  are  now 
surrounded  and  partly  covered  by  a  modern  European  city. 
But  some  things  have  not  changed.  The  Alban  hills  lift 
their  heights  above  the  plain  of  the  Roman  Campagna  to-day 
as  when  the  Roman  Emperors  saw  them  looking  out  with 
eyes  and  hearts  that  had  been  sated  with  sin,  or  as  when 
Romulus  saw  them,  in  the  dim  dawn  of  Latin  tradition.  The 
Italian  sun  and  sky  have  not  lost  any  of  their  original  bright- 
ness and  beauty.  These  monuments  of  stone  piled  to  the 
memory  of  men  who  worshiped  Jupiter,  and  became  vicious 
as  he,  have  crumbled  into  ruins.  Only  truth  is  impevishable, 
aind  as  divinity  breathes  into  monuments  will  they  live. 


124  The  1900  Pil(jrima(je 

Nineteen  centuries  ago  J'aul  entered  Runie  anil  in  tlie  face 
of  the  heartless  heathenism  of  llic  time  proclaimed  Christ's 
law  of  love  and  the  love  of  Christ's  law.  Here  he  laid  the 
foundation  of  that  mighty  temple  of  Christian  faith  beneath 
which  millions  have  found  shelter.  Paul  was  called  narrow 
in  his  day,  but  he  was  great  enough  to  learn  in  advance  what 
nineteen  centuries  have  taught  the  wisest  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  better  worth  knowing  than  Greek  philosophy  and  Roman 
law,  and  that  he  is  the  key  to  the  true  understanding  of 
all  the  deepest  questions  of  life. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  relics  to  the  Bible  student  is 
the  Mamertine  Prison,  located  in  the  rear  of  the  marble 
structure  of  Septimus  Severus.  We  had  never  realized  be- 
fore that  the  cold,  dark  cells  were  cut  in  the  solid  rock,  and 
were  without  doors.  A  chain  was  placed  around  the  waist 
of  the  prisoner  and  he  was  let  down  through  a  small  opening 
in  the  floor  to  the  horrible  inner  prison.  They  show  us  a 
cell  which  they  say  was  occupied  by  Peter.  It  contains  a 
little  spring  of  water  which  Papal  tradition  says  burst  mirac- 
ulously from  the  rock  to  furnish  water  for  the  baptism  of 
one  of  the  guards  who  was  converted  through  Peter's  in- 
strumentality. While  standing  in  the  damp  cell  of  Paul,  the 
aged,  we  could  appreciate  his  pathetic  request  for  the  cloak 
which  he  had  left  at  Troas,  and  also  the  velum  parchments, 
that  through  books  he  might  relieve  the  awful  silence  of  his 
dungeon.  'J'he  following  day  we  visited  the  traditional  place 
of  his  execution  and  grave.  Passing  the  pyramid  of  Cestius, 
under  the  shadow  of  which  sleeps  the  dust  of  Keats  and 
Shelly,  a  half  hour's  drive  brought  us  to  the  sacred  spot 
over  which  stands  the  cathedral  of  unrivalled  glory,  built  in 
commemoration  of  the  hero's  death.  With  reverent  hearts 
we  walked  down  the  long  aisles  and  stood  l>y  the  toml).  pledg- 
ing ourselves  to  better  emulate  his  life. 

Perhaps  no  church  in  Christendom  so  profoundly  impresses 
the  visitor  as  St.  Peter's  with  its  dome  of  matchless  beauty, 
standing  out  in  noble  grandeur  against  the  blue  sky.  On 
our  wnv  we  halted  at  the  tomb  of  TTadrian,  now  Castle  of  San 


The  Imperial  City 


125 


Angelo,  which  has  stood  tlie  wear  of  more  than  seventeen 
centuries.  It  stands  on  the  bank  of  the  Tiber  near  the 
famous  bridge  of  the  Csesars  bearing  the  ten  figures  of  angels. 
A  little  further  on  we  enter  the  jjiazzi  Rusticucci,  and  there 
bursts  upon  us  the  splendid  colonnades  of  Bernini.  The  two 
hundred  and  eighty- four  columns  are  in  four  series  and  sixty- 
six  feet  high.     On  the  entablature  are  one  hunred  and  ninety- 


two  colossal  statues  of  saints.  In  the  center  of  the  piazzi 
is  the  granite  obilisk  brought  from  Ileliopolis  by  Caligula; 
around  it  the  fountains  send  up  their  spray.  We  then  enter 
the  great  cathedral  and  are  simply  overwhelmed  at  its  im- 
mensity and  magnificence.  Who  can  describe  it?  We  had 
been  told  that  three  centuries  were  required  for  its  construc- 
tion, and  that  the  treasures  of  forty-three  Popes,  aggregating 
sixty  millions  of  dollars  were  expended  upon  it,  and  now  we 
cannot  wonder  at  these  statements.  From  the  great  dome 
which  rises  over  three  hundred  feet  above  the  high  roof, 
almost  every  nook  and  corner  of  the  city  lies  in  full  view. 
Many  of  our  party  were  delighted  with  the  privilege  of 


126  The  1900  Pilgrimage 

seeing  the  Pope.  On  Friday  at  noon  he  was  carried  into 
St.  Peter's  by  eight  cardinals,  where  multitudes  of  poor  pil- 
grims were  waiting  for  his  blessing.  His  robe  appeared 
as  white  as  the  driven  snow,  in  contrast  with  his  black  silk 
cap.  The  expression  of  his  face  indicated  supreme  happi- 
ness. The  scene  was  pathetic  when  he  lifted  up  his  bony 
hands  in  blessing  upon  the  pilgrims,  some  of  whom  wept 
aloud,  while  others  shouted  for  joy.  Now  we  enter  the 
Vatican  and  proceed  to  the  Sistine  Chapel,  made  forever 
famous  by  that  Shakespeare  of  art,  Michael  Angelo.  The 
painting  of  the  ceiling  was  his  crowning  work,  covering  a 
period  of  two  years,  for  which  he  received  a  pension  of  twelve 
hundred  golden  crowns  a  year.  Here  I  made  a  second  visit 
and  spent  a  half  day  which  seemed  only  too  short.  Opposite 
the  entrance  is  the  enormous  frescoe  of  the  Last  Judg-ment. 
We  now  ascend  the  Scala  Regia,  the  grandest  staircase  in  the 
world,  leading  to  the  great  picture  galleries.  Upon  these 
immortal  creations  I  cannot  dwell.  It  is  not  strange  that 
"The  Transfiguration,"  by  Eaphael,  is  the  center  of  attrac- 
tion. 

Among  other  churches  visited  were  the  (UtUu'ilraJ  of  St. 
John  Lateran,  which  for  a  thousand  years  jc lined  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Popes,  and  in  it  five  iniiiortant  ('(luncils  were 
held.  The  San  Piclni.  in  Vhicoli  contains  the  famous 
statue  of  Moses  with  the  beautiful  little  statues  of  Leah 
and  llachel  on  either  side;  here  we  were  also  shown  the 
chain  with  which  Peter  was  bound.  The  Scnla  Sancta 
contains  the  marble  steps  brought  by  St.  Helena  from  Pilate's 
Palace  in  Jerusalem.  As  we  looked  upon  pilgrims  ascend- 
ing upon  their  knees  we  could  imagine  Luther  lialf  way  up, 
when  the  words  flashed  upon  his  mind,  "The  just  shall  live 
by  faith,"  and  the  light  of  heaven  broke  in  upon  his  soul. 

On  the  east  bank  of  the  Tiber  a  shorl  (listiincc  nortli  of 
the  city  is  the  famous  battle-field  where  the  young  {\mstan- 
tine  defeated  Maxentius.  In  the  gallery  of  the  Vatican  is 
KaphaeFs  picture  of  the  scene.  The  emperor  is  standing 
upon  a   platform  in  the  act  of  delivering  an  orr.tion  animating 


The  Imperial  City 


127 


his  soldiers  to  the  combat,  when  suddenly  a  blazing-  cross 
appeared  in  the  sky  over  which  was  the  inscription,  "In  hoc 
signo  vinces"  (by  this  sign,  conquer.)  Filled  with  enthusi- 
asm the  soldiers  grasp  in  their  hands  their  spears,  together 
with  the  insignia  of  war  of  the  Roman  legions.  In  their 
midst  careers  the  figure  of  Constantine,  who,  mounted  on  a 
magnificent  charger,  clad  in  the  imperial  cloak  of  gold,  is 
followed  by  a  dense  throng  of  horsemen.  Three  angels  hover 
in  the  air,  one  of  them  with  a  sword,  who  rush  with  tliroat- 


Thk  Appiax  Way. 

ening  mien  u-pon  the  army  of  Maxentius  which  is  being 
impetuovisly  driven  back  to  the  west  side  of  the  Melvian 
bridge.  Victory  smiles  propitiously  upon  the  young  emperor 
and  he  subsequently  declared  Christianity  to  be  the  religion 
of  the  Koman  empire. 

A  carriage  drive  south  of  the  city  over  the  Appian  Way 
was  an  experience  that  we  shall  never  forget.  This  is  per- 
haps the  most  celebrated  road  in  all  the  world.  Not  chiefly 
because  chariots  and  horses  bearing  kings,  emperors,  and 
victorious  generals  have  gone  over  it,  but  because  the  great 
Apostle  to  the  Gentiles  passed  this  way  into  the  Imperial 


128  The  19UU  Pilgrimage 

City.  How  glad  we  should  have  been  to  continue  our  drive 
to  the  "Three  Taverns,"  where  the  brethren  met  him.  Pass- 
ing out  through  the  Sabastian  gate  and  under  the  arch  of 
Drusus,  we  entered  the  old  road  which  stretched  out  before 
us  across  the  hazy  plain  of  the  Campagna,  lined  on  either 
side  with  moss-covered  monuments,  and  with  a  dim  back- 
ground of  purple  mountains.  Here  are  the  famous  tombs 
and  Columharia.  To  our  right  were  the  Catacom]>s  of  St. 
Calixtus.  With  lighted  candles  we  followed  our  guide  along 
the  dismal  avenues,  which  we  were  told,  if  placed  in  one  con- 
tinuous line  would  be  nine  hundred  miles  in  length.  More 
than  four  millions  of  the  Lord's  faithful  ones  are  sleeping 
here  waiting  the  resurrection. 

At  the  church  of  Dominie  Quo  Vadis  may  still  be  seen  the 
mythical  footprint  of  the  Saviour  upon  the  marble.  A  tablet 
in  the  church  contains  the  following  beautiful  legend:  "As 
Peter,  on  the  persecution  which  arose  from  the  accusation 
that  the  Christians  had  set  fire  to  Rome,  was  fleeing'  for  his 
life,  he  met  the  Master  traveling  toward  the  city  and  inquired 
of  him,  'Dominie  Quo  Vadis,"  Lord  whither  goest  thou  ?' " 
With  a  gentle  reproach  the  Saviour  answei-ed,  "I  go  to  Rome 
to  be  crucified  a  second  time."  Then  Peter  filled  with  tremb- 
ling and  joy,  returned  and  boldly  met  the  martyr's  death. 
Returning  we  halted  at  the  Coliseum  which  some  one  terms 
"a  noble  wreck  in  ruinous  perfection."  While  standing  in 
the  center  of  the  vast  structure,  more  than  sixteen  hundred 
feet  in  circumference,  with  massive  walls  one  hundred  and 
fifty-seven  feet  high,  we  were  reminded  that  the  highest  tiers 
were  constructed  by  the  twelve  thousand  Jewish  slaves 
brought  from  Jerusalem  by  Titus.  The  sun  of  heaven 
never  looked  down  upon  darker  scenes  than  were  enacted  in 
the  center  of  this  amphitheater.  TTcrc  Cliristians  were 
burned,  and  tf)rn  in  pieces  by  the  wild  beasts,  while  the 
Roman  pojjulace  gloated  from  the  surrounding  galleries. 
This  old  structure  has  stood  for  eighteen  centuries  and  will 
likely  stiiud  till  llic  jinliiniciil  day  as  a  indnument  of  Rome's 
crueltv.  and  of  the  cni'lv    I'aitli  of  tlie  martyrs. 


The  Imperial  City 


129 


The  introduction  of  Christ's  law  of  love  by  Paul  has 
wrought  its  revolution  and  the  emblem  of  self-sacrificing 
charity  which  Constantine  saw  in  the  sky  now  glitters  from 
the  summit  of  every  cathedral  and  mountain  top  within  the 
sweep   of  our  vision. 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

Homeward. 

We  now  bid  farewell  to  Rome,  with  its  historic  associa- 
tions, and  take  the  afternoon  express  for  Florence.  While 
speeding  westward  the  scenery  presented  the  appearance  of 
a  continuous  park.  Just  as  the  panorama  of  the  broad 
valley  of  the  Arno,  encircled  with  its  romantic  mountains, 
broke  upon  our  vision,  the  sun  went  down,  and  a  purple 
robe  covered  the  fields  of  Tuscany.  We  were  very  happy 
with  the  prospect  of  spending-  a  Sabbath  in  the  city  familiarly 
known  as  the  most  enchanting  spot  under  the  cweet  blue 
skies  of  Italy.  At  nine  o'clock  our  train  pulled,  into  the 
station,  and  we  were  driven  to  our  hotel  which  overlooked 
the  beautiful  Arno.  In  the  morning  it  was  a  delightful 
privilege  to  walk  out  upon  the  balcony  and  look  for  the 
first  time  upon  the  city  of  the  Renaissance,  and  the  Refoi*- 
mation.  The  old  river  with  its  bridges  and  bordering  palaces 
shimmering  under  the  early  sun's  rays  suggested  Milton's 
pathetic  appeal  for  the  return  of  his  sight,  that  he  might 
once  more  "gaze  on  the  beautiful  Arno,  and  its  enchanting 
valley;  the  fair  Florence  and  its  thousand  villas,  like  a 
pearl  set  in  emerald."  We  attended  services  in  the  morn- 
ing at  the  Church  of  the  Annuciato,  known  as  having  one 
of  the  most  famous  choirs  of  the  world.  During  the  after- 
noon we  attended  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  heard  the 
eloquent  Doctor  Taylor.  On  our  return  we  lingered  until  the 
evening  twilight  upon  the  old  bridge,  built  more  than  five 
hundred  years  ago  to  connect  the  Palace  of  the  Uffizzi  with 
the  Pitti  Palace  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  Across 
it,  Baccacio,  Savonarola,  Galileo,  and  Dante,  whose  reflected 
lights  still  illuminate  the  city,  have  many  times  walked. 
We  were  surrounded  by  the  richest  collection  of  art  in  the 
world.     A  glance  down  at  the  water  ('allod  to  mind  the  story 


Homeward 


131 


of  Tito  in  George  Eliot's  "Romola."  It  was  a  rare  privilege 
to  visit  the  magnificent  Duomo  which  Angelo  recognized  as  a 
masterpiece  of  architecture.  Near  by  stands  the  splendid 
tower  designed  by  Giotto,  reaching  three  hundred  feet  toward 
the  sky.  It  is  said  that  during  the  return  of  the  exiles  after 
the  Florentine  war,  one  autumn  evening,  a  man  with  gray 
hair  but  ruddy  cheeks  was  resting  in  the  boat  that  moved 
slowly  up  the  river  Po.     Suddenly  the  boatman  caught  sight 


Giotto's  Towek. 


of  Giotto's  tower,  and  the  palace  that  was  the  home  of  this 
weary  exile.  Just  then,  too,  the  cathedral  bells  pealed  forth 
the  call  for  evening  prayer.  In  that  moment  the  exile  lifted 
himself  up  with  eyes  streaming  with  tears.  When  the  rowers 
turned  to  the  traveler  they  saw  his  noble  face  still  turned 
toward  the  great  tower,  but  his  eyes  were  closed  forever 
to  this  world.  The  old  home  memories  had  swept  over  the 
cords  of  his  heart  with  such  force  that  they  snapped  under 
the  powerful  vibrations.     In  the  Baptistry  we  looked  upon 


132 


The  liiOO  Pilgrimage 


the  bronze  gate  that  Angelo  said  was  worthy  to  be  the  gate 
of  Paradise,  lu  the  Santa  Crose,  sleep  some  of  the  famous 
dead  of  the  Flower  City.  One  of  the  most  commanding 
structures  is  the  Palazzo  Vecchio.  It  was  once  the  residence 
of  the  Medici,  "that  famous  family  which  gave  eight  dukes 
to  Tuscany,  two  queens  to  France,  and  four  popes  to  the 
Vatican."  In  the  square,  in  front  of  the  building,  a  cross 
marks  the  place  where  in  1498  Savonarola  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom. 

Late   Monday   evening  wo  boarded   the  train    for   Venice, 
the  "Queen  of  the  Adriatic."     The  celebrated  Apponine  rail- 


1  II  i:    Kl  A  1.1 


way  ascends  to  a  height  of  two  thousand  feet  above  the  sea 
level,  and  crosses  the  river  Keno  nineteen  times.  We 
reached  the  city  at  sunrise  and  were  soon  gliding  noiselessly 
over  its  canal  streets  upon  the  famous  gondola  vehicle.  The 
Grand  Canal  is  the  principal  avenue  of  the  "Sea  City,"  and 
is  intersected  by  one  hundred  and  forty  smaller  canals,  which 
are  spanned  by  hundreds  of  bridges.  The  most  beautiful  of 
these  is  the  famous  marble  Rialto,  thronged  with  the  mem- 
ories of  three  hundred  years.  Under  its  shadow,  we  were 
told,  appeared  tlio  first  bank  of  deposit  which  the  world  had 
kiKiwii.      'I'lic   first    Ixink   evei-   jiuhlislied   in    Italy  was  print(Ml 


Homeward  133 

here,  while  on  this  very  bridge  was  sold  the  first  newspaper 
ever  published  in  the  world.  Here  resided  Antonio,  the 
"Merchant  of  Venice,"  and  "Shylock,  the  Jew."  On  the  east 
side  is  the  Palace  of  the  Doges,  and  the  magnificent  Cathe- 
dral of  St.  Mark,  so  beautifully  pictured  by  Ruskin  in  his 
"Stones  of  Venice."  In  the  rear  of  the  Ducal  Palace  is  the 
"Bridge  of  Sighs,"  connecting  it  with  the  prison.  Over 
this  arch  the  ill-fated  victims  of  the  "Council  of  Ten"  were 
led  into  the  palace  to  receive  their  sentence,  and  then  con- 
ducted back  again  to  meet  their  death.  Turning  away  from 
the  "Widow  of  the  Adriatic,"  we  were  soon  speeding  across 
the  fertile  plains  toward  Milan,  the  ancient  capital  of  Sar- 
dinia. Its  world-renowned  cathedral  dominates  every  other 
object  in  the  city.  Oh,  for  words,  for  terms,  by  which  to 
give  even  a  faint  picture  of  its  magnificence.  It  is  architec- 
ture carried  to  its  most  exquisite  limits  in  a  great  mountain 
of  white  marble,  and  is  certainly  justly  termed  the  eighth 
wonder  of  the  world.  The  summit  of  the  tower,  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty-four  feet  high,  affords  one  of  the  richest  views 
in  all  Italy.  To  the  east  is  the  famous  Apennine  range, 
while  to  the  west  are  the  towering  Alps,  with  pinnacles  of 
eternal  ice  and  snow  blazing  like  a  glorious  kingdom  of 
diamonds.  Between  these,  the  fertile  plain  stretches  from 
sea  to  sea.  Not  far  away  is  the  church  where  Ambrose 
preached,  and  the  word  of  truth  from  his  lips  pierced  the 
heart  of  the  young  Augustine,  who  had  been  fleeing  from 
the  prayers  of  a  devout  mother,  but  after  all,  the  lessons 
she  had  taught  him  lay  deeper  than  his  surging  passions. 
His  conversion  marks  an  era  in  the  history  of  the  world, 
and  the  influence  of  his  writings  have  swayed  witn  more 
might  than  that  of  an  imperial  scepter  the  destinies  of  west- 
ern   Christendom,   for   ages. 

Bidding  farewell  to  the  Gem  City  we  left  on  the  night 
express  for  Switzerland,  arriving  at  Lucerne  in  the  early 
morning.  No  language  which  I  can  command  can  convey 
any  conception  of  the  majesty  and  srlory  of  the  scenery.  I 
had  never  seen  such  earthly  beauty  before.     What  are  tern- 


134 


The  U»00  Pi  lo  rim  age 


pies,  and  cathedrals,  and  pyramids,  and  parthenons,  and 
coliseums,  compared  with  these  Alps,  the  masonry  of  the 
Almighty?  How  majestic  they  are!  Their  hoar}^  heads, 
thousands  of  feet  above  us  glitter  like  diamonds  under  the 
smiles  of  the  morning  sun.  The  valleys  at  our  feet  with 
their  noisy  little  brooks,  green  meadows  and  singing  birds 
presented  a  scene  of  most  vigorous  life.  The  smiling  town 
standing  on  the  threshold  of  the  land  of  mountains,  with  its 
enchanting  lake,  has  always  had  a  i)eculiar  charm,  '.ihrough 
long,   dark   tunnels,   yawning  chasms,   and   wild   charms   of 


\  1 1 1 1    \  I.I 


towering  mountniiis,  we  continued  our  journey  toward  sunny 
France,  an'iving  in  Paris  on  the  evening  of  May  9.  Ameri- 
cans are  quite  as  familiar  with  the  French  capital  as  with 
the  great  cities  of  their  own  country,  but  its  elegance  can- 
not be  realized  without  looking  upon  its  streets  and  boule- 
vards, and  from  its  public  squares  studying  the  magnificence 
of  its  architectural  triumphs.  Glimpses  of  its  olcgau';  decora- 
tions still  mingle  with  my  reveries,  and  it  would  be  n  delight 
to  write  of  its  picture  galleries,  splendid  monuments,  beauti- 
ful boulevards  and  "Garden  of  the  Tuileries."  The  great 
exposition  was  already  attracting  the  multitudes.  Our  first 
view  of  the  grounds  was  obtained  from  the  bridge  of  Alex- 
ander TTT.      Tl"  "Mirliiicl    Aimcbi  wcm-c  living  to-diiy  he  wmdd 


Homeward 


135 


doubtless  say  that  the  entrance  was  sufficiently  beavtiful  to 
be  the  entrance  to  Paradise.  The  commissioner  general, 
M.  Picart,  pompously  said,  that  "the  exposition  should  be  the 
philosophy  and  synthesis  of  the  century;  it  should  have  at 
once  grandeur,  grace,  and  beauty ;  it  should  reflect  the  bright 
genius  of  France;  it  should  demonstrate  that  to-day,  as  in 
the  past,  we  are  in  the  van  of  progress;  it  should  honor  the 
country  and  the  republic,  and  show  to  the  world  thac  we  are 
the  worthy   sons   of  the   men   of   1789."     After   a   busy   day 


I'AKis— Xotrb:  Dame. 

within  its  enclosure,  we  were  convinced  that  no  eft'ort  had 
been  spared  in  working  out  this  ideal. 

We  had  engaged  passage  to  New  York  on  the  Augusta 
Victoria,  due  to  leave  Cherbourg  on  the  evening  of  May  11. 
The  home-coming  is  the  most  delightful  part  of  the  pilgrim- 
age, and  my  heart  was  filled  with  gladness  at  the  sight  of 
the  approaching  steamer  bound  for  home  land. 

"There  is  joy  in  sailing  outward. 
Though  we  leave  upon  the  pier, 
With  faces  grieved  and  wistful, 

Our  very  dearest  dear; 
And  the  sea  shall  roll  between  us 
For  perhaps  a  whole  round  year. 


136  The  liiOU  PiuiRiMAUE 

"But  the  joy  of  joys  is  ours, 

Untouched  by  any  pain, 
When  we  take  the  home-bound  steamer, 

And  catch  the  home-bound  train. 
There  "s  nothing  half  so  pleasant 

As  coming  home  again." 

The  shores  of  Europe  soon  faded  from  view,  but  tlie  vision 
of  the  places  vividly  associated  with  the  birth,  the  lite,  and 
the  w^'iting's  of  the  ancient  poets,  essayists,  and  orators,  with 
the  more  sacred  lands  of  the  Bible,  will  be  an  abidin?-  posses- 
sion. The  life-dream  has  become  a  reality  that  we  would 
not  exchange  for  many  times  the  cost  of  the  pilgrimage,  and 
faint  pictures  which  the  imagination  had  painted  of  places 
with  names  familiar  from  childhood  have  given  place  to 
vivid  photographs  of  far  more  value  than  books.  These 
will  long  remain  in  the  gallery  of  memory,  stimulating  new 
interest  in  the  study  of  the  word  of  God,  and  making  real 
the  scenes  and  events  connected  with  the  life  and  ministry 
of  the  Christ.  Dr.  Philij)  Schaff,  in  his  excellent  book  en- 
titled, "Through  Bible  Lands,"  says,  "I  would  advise  every 
theological  student  who  can  afford  it,  to  complete  his  biblical 
education  by  a  visit  to  the  Holy  Land.  It  will  be  of  more 
practical  use  to  him  in  his  pulpit  labors  than  the  lectures  of 
the  professors  in  Oxford  or  Cambridge,  in  Berlin  or  Leipsie, 
valuable  as  these  may  be." 

A  great  scholar  has  termed  the  land  "a  fifth  gospol."  Its 
manners  and  customs  are  the  same  as  in  the  days  of  the 
apostles.  No  one  can  travel  over  its  sacred  hills  and  plains 
without  a  new  and  larger  conception  of  God's  word,  and  of 
the  Christ  who  rose  above  the  limits  of  his  environments 
of  time  and  space  to  be  the  absolute  authoritative  teacher 
and  Savioui  of  the  world.  He  who  visits  the  galleries  of 
the  old  world  must  needs  come  back  with  the  conviction  that 
the  whole  kingdom  of  art  has  dedicated  itself  to  represent  the 
scenes  of  Christ's  life  and  influence;  that  architecture  for 
centuries  has  been  taxing  itself  to  erect  cathedrals  worthy  of 
his  worship;  that  musicians  have  labored  unceasingly  to 
write  syinplioiiics  sweet  enough  for  his  praise. 


HOMEAVARD  137 

As  the  shadows  of  night  deepened,  my  face  turned  wistfully 
toward  the  land  dear  above  all  others,  and  the  memories  of 
home  swept  over  the  cords  of  my  heart  with  greater  force  and 
volume  than  the  summer  night's  storm  that  beat  against  my 
face,  and  converted  the  masts  of  the  great  ship  into  a  harp. 

"Earth's  sunniest  shores  lie  not  afar 
By  winding  Wye,  or  clear  Pharpar, 
But  where  the  streams  of  home-land  are. 

"*  ■■'■  *  *  And  hitherto  at  last  a  spell 
Will  every  wanderer's  feet  impel, 
For  here  grows  love's  sweet  Asphodel." 

Oft  in  my  dreams  the  soul  would  take  wings,  and  flying 
over  the  seas  come  again  to  the  old  home  scenes.  Before 
my  eyes  was  the  form  of  the  one  to  whom  I  owe  a  debt  of 
gratitude  that  I  shall  never  be  able  to  pay,  still  acting  as 
priest  bearing  our  wants  to  the  throne  of  God, — I  could  hear 
the  music  of  the  brook  in  the  meadow;  the  song  of  the 
nightingale  and  the  notes  of  the  meadow-lark;  I  was  again 
with  the  boys  in  the  harvest  field,  and  alone  in  the  forest 
where  many  a  time  I  had  heard  the  goings  of  God  in  the 
tree-tops.  These  memories  have  breathed  a  sweet  fragrance 
into  my  life  for  which  I  shall  never  cease  to  be  thankful. 

We  return  from  foreign  lands  with  an  enlarged  vision  of 
the  superior  beauties  and  blessings  of  our  own  country,  and 
with  a  profounder  respect  for  our  own  splendid  civilization. 
We  sailed  beneath  various  banners  and  saw  the  flags  of  the 
nations  in  distant  ports,  but  none  were  so  beautiful  as  our 
own  starry  banner.  Many  times  I  could  but  wish  that  it 
might  supplant  the  star  and  crescent  on  the  water'",  of  the 
Bosphorus  and  on  the  eastern  shores  of  the  Mediterranean 
and  bring  to  the  oppressed  millions  under  Turkish  rule  the 
blessing  of  human  equality  and  of  civil  and  religious  liberty. 

For  several  days  the  clouds  hung  low,  and  not  a  smile 
rested  upon  the  face  of  the  waters.  One  morning  a  dense 
fog  enveloped  us,  and  remained  until  the  evening, — the  day 
seemed  like  a  week  as  the  dismal  notes  of  the  horn  marked 


138  The  1900  Pilcrimaoe 

off  its  minutes.  The  afternoon  of  the  eighth  day  of  the 
voyage  was  beautiful,  the  sea  had  the  appearance  of  molten 
silver  as  we  looked  toward  the  sunset.  Many  were  on  deck 
when  some  one  shouted,  "Land  ahead!"  Oh,  what  a  thrill  of 
joy  it  brought  to  our  hearts.  At  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening 
we  reached  Sandy  Hook.  It  was  interesting  to  know  that 
since  passing  out  through  this  gateway  many  weeks  before, 
we  had  traveled  about  fifteen  thousand  miles — eleven  thou- 
sand miles  by  water,  three  thousand  miles  by  rail,  :wo  hun- 
dred miles  in  carriages,  fifty  miles  on  donkeys  and  three 
hundred  miles  on  horseback.  At  ten  o'clock  we  entered  the 
harbor.  My  heart  was  bounding,  for  I  knew  that  some  who 
were  dear  to  me  as  my  own  life,  and  who  had  tenderly  fol- 
lowed me  in  thought  and  prayer  during  my  absence  were 
waiting  at  the  pier.  In  another  hour  I  was  permitted  to 
grasp  their  hands.  I  know  not  how  to  put  into  words  the 
gratitude  of  my  heart  to  Him  who  has  lovingly  guarded  me 
through  the  long  journey  and  brought  me  back  in  safety  to 
the  land  of  my  pride,  the  friends  of  my  love,  and  the  home 
of  my  heart. 


INDEX. 


Abraham,  24,  30 

Absalom,  Tomb  of,  63 

Abyla,   18 

Acropolis,   114 

Africa,  18 

Alimad,   Abder-Rasul,   oS 

Aljka,  Bay  of,  89 

Albanians,  24 

Alameda,  16,  17,  18 

Alexandria,  21,  23,   27,  28 

Alexandria,  Bay  of,  24 

Amenophis,   King,   41 

Andromeda.  Legend  of,  55 

Anne,  of  Austria,  9 

Antony,   27 

Appian  Way,  127 

A(niarium,   19 

Arabs,   24 

Argo,    Sliip  of,   19 

Armenians,  24 

Asenatti,   30 

Assuan,  42,  43 

Atlianasius.   27 

Athens,  113,  114,  115,  116 

Austrians,  24 

Aven,  30 

Azores,  14 

Baalbec,  99,  101 
Bartholdi's   Statue,   10 
Bedouin,  26,  29,  43,  86 
Beirut,  78,  103,  105 
Belzoni,  36 
Bethany,  61,  70 
Bethel,  80,  81 
Bethesda,  Pool  of,  75 
Bethlehem,  46,  64.  71,   72 
Beth-Shemesh,   30 
Bonar.  Andrew,  82 
Brindisi,  117 


Brugsch,   M..   40 
Buckingham,  Duke  of.  0 

Ca?sar,  26,  27 

Csesarea  Philippi,  94,  95 

Cairo,   28,   29,   31,   33,   35,   40,   43, 

44,  50 
Calvary,   75,   76,   77,   79 
Cana,  91 

Cape  Trafalgar,  14 
Capernaum.  88,  94 
Capri,  Island  of,  21 
Carmel,  Mount,  101 
Cato,  13 
Cheops.  44 
Cherbourg.    135 
Cherith,  Brook  of,  67 
Clauda.  Island  of,  22 
Clement,  27 
Cleopatra,  27,  43 
Colchis,  19 
Colossi,  41 
Constantinople,     108,     110.     Ill, 

113 
Copts.  24,  30 
Corfu,  City  of,  117 
Corinth,   Bay  of,   116 
Crete,   21,   22 
Cyprus,   Island  of,  106 

Damascus,  96,  97,  98 
Dan,  94 

Dardanelles.   108 
David.  71,  72 
Dead  Sea,  61,  64,  66.  68 
Der-el-Bahari.  38 
Diocletian.  26 
Dixiphanus.  23 
Dorcas,  Home  of.  55 
Dothan,  84 


139 


140 


Index 


Kbal.  Mount.  .s:_i 
Ecce  Homo  Arch,  7.j 
Edfu,  Temple  Ruins  of.  412 
Egypt,  24,  28.  29.  30.  32.  33.  3.'5, 

42 
Eleiisis.   Ruins  of,   114 
Elijah.  GS.  101 
Elijah's  iNIonastery,  67 
Elliott.   Sir  Gilbert.  IT 
England,  17,  35 
Ephesus,  107 

Esdraelon.   Plain  of,  8«.  90 
Euphrates.  27 

Florence.   130.  131.  132 
Forum,   122,   123 
"Fountain  of  Elisha,"  70 
France,  17,  18 
Fiirrst  liismaick,   10 

Galilee,  Sea  of,  91,  93,  94 

Gennesaret,  94 

Gerizim.  Mount,  83 

Gethsemane.  Garden  of,  61,  63 

Gibraltar,  Bay  of,  IC 

Gibraltar,   Fortress  of,   15 

(Jibraltar,  Rock  of,  16.  18 

Gibraltar.    Straits  of,   14 

Gideon's  I'"ountain,  86 

Gllboa.  90 

Gilead,  90 

Gilgal,  69 

Giotto's  Tower,   131 

Gizeh    Museum,   31 

Good  Samaritan,  Inn  of.  07 

Goshen,   I-and  of,  4(; 

Greeks,  18,  24.  27 

Greek   Chapel.   58 

"Grotto  of   the   Nativity,'     72 

Haifa,  City  of.  89 
Hebron,   04,   65,   84 
Heliopolis,  30,  46 
Hercules,    IMllars   of.    IS.    27 
Herod.  30 

Hernioii.  Mount.  UO 
Herodotus.   30.   51 


Hill   of   lOvil   Counsel.   64 
Holy  Sepulcher.  Church  of,  58 
Hiunom.  Valley  of.  63 
Horns  of  Hattin,   93 

lolcus,  19 
Isis,  43 
Ismalia,  52 
Israelites,  28,  33,  68 
Italy,  21,  26 

.Tacob,  30,  46 

.lacob's  Well.  82 

Jaffa,  52.  53,  54,  56 

.Tames,  Tomb  of,  63 

.Tenin,  86 

.lericho,  66,  68.  69.  70 

Jerome,   72 

Jerusalem,  56,  57.  64.  70.  72.  ■; 

Jesus,  30 

Jews'  Wailiiiu'  I'lace.  74 

Jezreel.   Plain  of.  90 

Jordan.  69.   94 

Joseph.  30.  46 

Joseph.  Tomb  of.  83 

Jupiter   Temple  of.   100 

Karnak.   35.   37 

Kidrou.  Valley  of.  61.  63 

Koran,   26,   27 

Ijatins,  Church  of.  5S 
Lebanon.   Valley  of.   102.   103 
I>evantines.  24 
Lucerne.    133.    134 
Lulhor.  Martin.  57.  119 
Luxor.   33.   35.   41 
Lydda,  57 

Machpelali.    Cave   of,   66 
Mohamet    Ali,   :11 
Mohamet    Ali,   S(|uarc  ol,   20 
:Maltese,  24 
Mamelukes,   31 
Mamre,   Plains  of,  24 
Mamre,   Oaks  of,   00 
Maniei'tine    Prison,    124 
Mars   Hill.   1  1(! 


Index 


141 


Mary.  30.  31 

Mediterranean,  16,  18,  19,  124,  42, 

04,  89 
Memphis,   46 
Merom,   Waters  of,  94 
Messina,  Straits  of,  21 
Mineptah,  40 

"Miraculous  Fountain,"  31 
Moab.   Land  of,   69 
Moab,  Mountains  of,  90 
Mohammed,  26,  27,  56,  74 
Moors,  17 
Moses,  30,  31,  43 
Moslem  University,  48,  49 
Mosque  of  Omar,  74 
Mount  Aetna,  21 
Mount  of  Beatitudes,  91,  93 
Mount  Carmel,  89 
Mount  Moriah,  74 
Mount   Scopus    (Mizpeh),   78,   80 
Mount  of  Temptation,  70 
Mount   of   Olives,    57,   60,    71,   78, 

79,   80 
Mount  Vesuvius.  19,  21 

Nablus,  City  of,  84 

Nain,  S7 

Naples,   19.  117.   118 

Xapoleon,   42,   46 

Nazareth,   88,  90 

Nelson,  Lord,   14 

Nile,  24,  28.  29,  42.  43.  57 

No.  37 

Nubia.  24.  33 

On.  30 

Origen,  27 

Ottoman  Empire,  35 

Palatine  Hill.  121,  122 
Palestine,  78,  79,  81,  84 
Paris.  134,  135 
Patmos,  Island  of,  106 
Parthenon.  The.  114 
Paul.   19,   21,    124 
Persians,  38 
Peter,  55 


Pharos  Tower,   23 

I'haraohs,   The,   28,   30 

Phila?,  Island  of,  42 

Pico,  Mount,   14 

Pilate's   Judgment    Hall,   75 

Plato,  30 

Pliny,   54 

Polycarp,  107 

Pompey's  Pillar,  23,  26 

Pools  of  Solomon,  65 

Port  Said,  52 

Potiphar,  30 

Ptolemy,  II.,  23 

Ptolemy  V.,  28 

Puteoli.  21 

Pyramids,   44,   47,  48 

Rachel,   46 

Rachel.  Tomb  of,  64 

Ramala.  79 

Rameses,   37 

Rameseum,  41 

Ramleh,   57 

Ramleh,  Tower  of,  57 

Rhine,   27 

Rhodes,   106 

Roda,   Island  of,  31.  46 

123,    124,    125,    126,    127,    12J 

129,   130 
Rome,  27,  119,  120,  121,  122 
Rosetta,  28 

Samaria.   84 

Sandy  Hook.  11 

Saracens.  17 

Sarah.  30 

Sardinia.  Island  of.  19 

Serapis,  27 

Settl,  I.,  36.  37 

Sharon,   Plain  of,   56 

Shiloh,  81 

Shechem,  83 

Shunem.  86 

Sicily.  21 

Sidon,    19 

Siloam.  Pool  of,  63 

Slut,  35,  51 


142 


Index 


Smyrna.   106,   107 

Solomon,  18,  19 

Sostratos  of  Guidos.  23 

Sphinx,  48 

St.  Elmo,  Castle  of,  21 

St.  Helena,  Chapel  of,  59 

St.   Mark,   27 

St.  refers,  124 

St.   Sophia,  ^Mosque  of.   112 

Suez,   52 

Sultan  Hassan  Mosque,  :^1 

Syria,    78 

Tabor,   Mount,  90 

Tarifa,  15 

Temple  of  Karnak,  37 

Thebes,   35,   37,   40 

Thessaly,  19 

Tiberias,  Village  of,  94 

Titus,    22 

Turks,  24,  32 


Tyre,  19 

Umberto,  Vessel  of.  21 
"Upper  Room,  The,"  73 
Usertsen  I.,  36 

Venice,    132,    133 
Venus,  Temple  of.  100 
"ViiTgin's  Tree,"  30 
"Virgin's  Fountain,"  90 
Via  Dolorosa,  75,    77 

Wilson,   Captain,   71 

Xerxes,   19 

Zahleh,  City  of,  102 
Zechariah,  Tomb  of,  B-i 
Zerrilla,  C,  19 
Zeus,   Birthplace  of,  21 
Zion,   Mount,   74,   79 


BX9878.5  .F786 

The  1900  pligrimage  to  Egypt  and  the 


Princeton  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Library 


1   1012  00044  8375 


